DivisioTi 


/ 

The  University  of  Chicago  Publications 
IN  Religious  Education 

Edited  by 

SHAILER  MATHEWS  THEODORE  G.  SCARES 

W.  W.  CHARTERS 


CONSTRUCTIVE  STUDIES 


HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  PRESS 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY  OF  CANADA,  LIMITED 
TORONTO 

THE  CAMBRIDGE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS 
LONDON 

THE  MARUZEN-KABUSHIKI-KAISHA 
TOKYO,  OSAKA,  KYOTO,  FUKUOKA,  SENDAI 

THE  MISSION  BOOK  COMPANV 
SHANGHAI 


'^ 


/ 

HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 


A  TEACHER'S  MANUAL  TO  BE  USED  IN 

CONNECTION  WITH  THE  STUDENT'S 

TEXTBOOK 


By         ,/ 
Theodore  Gerald  Scares 

Professor  of  Homiletics  md  Religious  Education 
in  the  University  of  Chicago 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  PRESS 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


Copyright  igio  By 
The  Untvebsity  of  Chicago 


All  Rights  Reserved 


Published  December  igio 
Second  Impression  October  1913 
Third  Impression  December  1920 
Fourth  Impression  October  1923 
Fifth  Impression  November  1926 


Composed  and  Printed  By 

The  University  of  Chicago  Press 

Chicago,  Illinois,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

This  manual  for  teachers  is  designed  to  be  used 
in  connection  with  the  student's  textbook.  The 
latter  contains  the  stories  of  the  heroes  arranged 
from  the  British  revision,  with  explanatory  notes 
and  questions,  and  with  an  opportunity  for  ex- 
pressive work  in  a  written  review.  It  is  the  pur- 
pose of  the  manual  to  indicate  to  the  teacher  how 
the  students  may  be  guided  in  their  work,  and 
how  the  class  hour  may  be  made  interesting  and 
profitable. 

The  manual  has  designedly  been  prepared  for 
teachers  of  very  slight  experience.  The  attempt 
has  been  made  to  suggest  step  by  step  the  move- 
ment to  be  followed  in  the  preparation  and  teach- 
ing of  each  lesson.  The  object  that  has  been  kept 
in  view  has  been  to  make  it  possible  for  a  person 
with  no  pedagogic  training  to  teach  the  stories  of 
the  heroes  effectively.  At  the  same  time  the  needs 
of  the  more  experienced  teachers  have  not  been 
overlooked,  and  it  is  hoped  that  such,  while  using 
the  book  with  freedom,  may  yet  find  suggestions  and 
illuminative  material  that  will  be  helpful  in  their 
own  preparation  and  conduct  of  the  lesson.  In- 
deed, it  is  desirable  even  for  the  less  mature  teach- 
ers that  suggestions  of  method  may  not  always  be 
slavishly  adopted,  but  may  often  stimulate  in- 
vention  and    initiative.     This    may   especially    be 


VIU  PREFACE 

possible  in  teaching  the  course  the  second  and  sub- 
sequent times. 

The  Explanatory  Notes  in  this  book  might 
easily  have  been  extended  to  cover  many  interest- 
ing historical  points.  It  is  to  be  remembered  how- 
ever that  we  are  concerned  with  biographical  and 
not  with  historical  studies.  The  notes  have  there- 
fore been  confined  to  such  points  as  are  necessary 
to  illuminate  the  story  of  the  hero  as  such.  The 
teacher  should  not  forget  this  important  distinc- 
tion. The  introduction  of  too  much  material  may 
distract  attention  from  the  character-study,  which 
is  the  distinct  aim  of  the  course. 

In  the  second  edition  of  the  student's  book  the 
Written  Reviews  have  been  entirely  revised,  giving 
to  them  more  variety,  and  bringing  them,  it  is 
hoped,  nearer  to  the  vital  interests  of  boys  and 
girls.  The  directions  to  the  teacher  in  this  book 
in  connection  with  the  reviews  refer  to  the  revised 
edition. 

T.  G.  S. 

August  31,  1910 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Foreword  to  the  Teacher xiii 

Suggested  Literature      .......  xxi 

The  Introductory  Lesson xxiii 

I.    Abraham,    the    Father    of    the 

Faithful 3 

II.    Abraham,  the  Magnanimous   .     .  15 

III.  Abraham  and  Isaac 22 

IV.  Jacob,  the  Clever 31 

V.    Israel,  the  Godly 36 

"VI.    Joseph,  the  Slave 43 

VII.    Joseph,  the  Ruler 48 

VIII.    Joseph,  the  Generous  ....  53 

IX.    Moses'  Early  Life 61 

X.    Moses'  Commission 66 

XL    Moses,  the  Deliverer  ....  71 

XII.    Moses,  the  Lawgiver    ....  76 

XIII.  Review:  The  Heroes  of  Israel's 

Wanderings 85 

XIV.  Joshua  and  Caleb 91 

XV.    Gideon,  the  Warrior    ....  98 

XVI.    Samson,  the  Strong  Man   ...  102 
iz 


X  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

-_--  'XVII.    Ruth,  the  Foreigner    ....  109 

XVIII.    Samuel  and  Eli 117 

XIX.    Samuel  AND  Saul 123 

XX.    Jonathan's  Victory 129 

XXI.    David  and  the  Giant    ....  135 

XXII.    The   Hero    Friends,  David  and 

Jonathan 140 

XXIII.  David,  the  Outlaw 146 

XXIV.  David,  the  King 152 

XXV.    David  and  His  Rebel  Son  .     .     .  157 

XXVI.    Review:    Ten  Heroes  of  Israel  165 

XXVII.    Solomon,  the  Wise  King    .     .     ,  171 

XXVIII.    Elijah,   the   Champion  of  Pure 

Religion 179 

XXIX.    Elijah,  the  Champion  of  Justice.  186 

XXX.    Elisha,  the  Healer  and  Coun- 
selor    191 

XXXI.    Nehemtah,  the  Builder      .     .     .  201 

XXXII.    Esther,  the  Patriot  Queen    .     .  209 

XXXIII.  Judas,  the  Hammerer    ....  215 

XXXIV.  Daniel  and  His  Friends     .     .     .  221 
XXXV.    Review:    Seven  Heroic  Names    .  229 

Pronunciation  of  Proper  Names     ....  237 


EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

PAGE 

Note  A.     The  Ancient  World 5 

Note  B.     The  Migrations 6 

Note  C.  The  Invasion  oe  the  Five  Kings     .  16 

Note  D.  Abraham's  Fighting  Force  ...  16 

Note  E.  The  Appearances  of  the  Lord  .     .  17 

Note  F.     Ancient  Marriage 23 

Note  G.  Caravans  of  the  East     ....  44 

Note  H.  Slavery  in  Ancient  Times   ...  44 

Note  I.  Patriarchal  Authority  ....  53 

Note  J.      Ramses  II 61 

Note  K.     The  Philistines 103 

Note  L.     The  Priests 118 

Note  M.    The  Ark 118 

Note  N.  The  Feast  of  the  New  Moon   .     .  141 

Note  O.     Family  Festivals 141 

Note  P.  Ceremonial  Cleanliness     .     .     .  141 

Note  Q.     Jerusalem 153 

Note  R.  Israel  and  Her  Neighbors  .     .     .  153 

Note  S.      David's  Army 154 

Note  T.     The  Gate 158 

Note  U.  Cherethites,  Pelethites,  Gittites  .  158 

Note  V.  The  Real  and  the  Ideal  Solomon.  171 

Note  W.    The  Phoenicians        172 

zi 


Xll 


EXPLANATORY  NOTES 


Note  X.     The  Cedars  of  Lebanon 
Note  Y.     The  Divided  Kingdom 
Note  Z.      Baal  Worship  . 
Note  AA.  The  Hebrew  Prophet 
Note  BB.  The  Kingdom  of  Syria 
Note  CC.  The  Captivity  . 
Note  DD,  The  Kingdom  of  Persia 
Note  EE.  The  Samaritans    .     . 
Note  FF.  The  Book  of  Nehemiah 
Note  GG.  The  Feast  of  Purim  . 
Note  HH.  The  Apocrypha     .     . 
Note  II.    Antiochus,  King  of  Syria 


172 
180 
180 
181 
192 
202 
202 
203 
203 
210 
2x6 
216 


FOREWORD  TO  THE  TEACHER 

This  course  is  intended  for  students  of  the  sixth 
grade  of  the  public  school.  Boys  and  girls  of  about 
twelve  years  of  age  receive  religious  and  moral 
stimulus  through  appreciation  of  the  great  qualities 
which  they  see  in  heroic  lives.  The  most  profound 
religious  impression  is  made  by  the  character  of 
the  father,  the  mother,  the  pastor,  the  teacher. 
Together  with  these  living  heroes  (for  such  they 
ought  to  be)  the  great  characters  of  the  past  are 
effective  in  the  religious  education  of  the  child 
Abstract  problems  are  not  readily  understood,  but 
concrete  right  and  wrong,  exemplified  in  actual 
conduct,  are  easily  appreciated. 

We  find  especially  good  opportunity  for  the 
presentation  of  the  great  moral  significance  of  life 
in  the  biographies  of  the  notable  men  of  Israel. 
These  stories  are  told  in  brief  compass  and  with  a 
rare  beauty  and  power  that  make  them  unique  in 
literature.  Where  else  in  the  limited  time  avail- 
able for  such  a  course  as  this  could  such  an  array 
of  noble  and  interesting  biographies  be  secured? 
For  the  Old  Testament  heroes  were  really  great 
men,  and  not  less  so  that  they  had  palpable  faults, 
which  the  children  will  not  fail  to  detect  and  esti- 
mate. An  acquaintance  with  these  mighty  men  of 
old  will  be  an  education  of  no  small  value  to  the 
young  students.    And  God  is  very  wonderfully  ap- 


xiv  FOREWORD  TO  THE  TEACHER 

parent  in  these  old  stories.  His  providence,  his 
goodness,  his  great  purpose  of  blessing  for  men 
are  everywhere  evident. 

If  this  conception  of  the  value  of  heroic  biogra- 
phy be  justified,  the  object  to  be  sought  in  these 
studies  will  be  obvious.  We  are  not  primarily  con- 
cerned with  teaching  the  history  of  Israel.  We  are 
seeking  to  make  Abraham,  Joseph,  Moses,  David, 
Nehemiah,  Daniel,  familiar  characters,  living  in 
the  youthful  imagination,  attracting  by  their  great 
qualities  the  souls  of  the  children  toward  the  higher 
values  of  life,  and  warning  by  the  mere  exhibition 
of  their  littlenesses  and  meannesses  against  such 
failure  to  attain  the  best.  As  one  would  bring  a 
child  into  familiar  friendship  with  a  living  man, 
trusting  that  his  personality  would  have  its  own 
impressive  effect,  rather  than  attempting  to  point 
out  his  specific  virtues,  so  must  we  endeavor  to 
make  these  old  heroes  live,  that  their  characters 
may  make  the  natural  impression.  We  shall  not 
be  much  concerned  then  to  draw  lessons  and  point 
morals.  These  will  come  of  themselves  if  the 
teaching  be  well  done  and  if  the  heroes  be  made 
real,  living  again  in  their  old  surroundings,  with 
their  struggles,  their  temptations,  their  successes, 
and  their  defeats. 

To  the  students  themselves  the  lesson  may  not 
seem  to  be  specifically  religious.  They  will  read 
the  story  of  Joseph  as  they  would  read  that  of 
Lincoln.  And  it  is  well  that  they  should  do  so,  and 
that  they  should  learn  by  the  spirit  in  which  the 


FOREWORD  TO  THE  TEACHER  XV 

study  is  carried  on,  not  to  regard  the  biblical  story 
as  less  religious,  but  to  regard  all  heroic  story  as 
religious.  As  a  culmination  of  these  lessons  it  is 
to  be  hoped  that  the  students  will  come  to  see  that 
the  greatest  achievement  is  character;  that  they  too 
will  long  to  be  noble;  that  they  will  see  that  the 
meaning  also  of  Jesus  to  them  is  a  call  to  be 
heroes;  that  they  will  give  a  glad  allegiance  to 
him,  highly  resolving  to  be  heroic  in  their  own 
young  lives.  It  will  be  a  simple  resolution,  con- 
ceived after  the  simple  fashion  of  a  child,  but  it 
may  be  a  true  and  effective  religious  decision.  The 
teacher  may  well  hold  this  before  him  as  the 
natural  fruitage  of  the  year's  work. 

The  practical  use  of  these  lessons  in  the  Sun- 
day school  of  the  Hyde  Park  Baptist  Church, 
Chicago,  has  demonstrated  the  value  of  reprinting 
from  the  Bible  just  such  part  of  the  story  as  it  is 
desired  to  make  use  of  in  the  class.  By  the  elimi- 
nation of  passages  that  are  beyond  the  compre- 
hension of  the  young  student,  or  that  are  unde- 
sirable for  his  reading,  and  even  by  the  occasional 
omission  of  a  difficult  phrase,  the  opportunity  of 
the  continuous  reading  of  the  narratives  is  secured. 
It  is  strongly  recommended  that  every  student  have 
his  own  textbook  and  that  he  be  encouraged  to 
confine  himself  to  the  material  there  provided, 
using  his  Bible  for  the  specific  references  which 
are  indicated  from  time  to  time.  The  teacher, 
however,  should  make  a  more  thorough  study  of 
the  biographies.    It  is  the  purpose  of  this  book  to 


xvi  FOREWORD  TO  THE  TEACHER 

offer  suggestions  for  the  teacher's  own  study  and 
to  indicate  what  should  be  sought  from  the  stu- 
dent. Specific  directions  will  be  given  in  connec- 
tion with  each  lesson,  but  the  following  general 
suggestions  may  here  be  made: 

1.  In  beginning  each  new  biography  read  the 
entire  story  at  a  sitting  for  your  own  benefit  and 
without  having  the  students  particularly  in  mind. 

2.  Using  the  student's  book,  study  the  lesson 
just  as  he  is  expected  to,  following  the  suggestions 
there  made.  Use  no  more  of  the  story  than  is 
given  in  the  student's  book. 

3.  Then  study  the  lesson  from  this  manual. 
Look  up  all  proper  names  in  the  Table  of  Pro- 
nunciation. Read  as  much  of  the  reference  litera- 
ture as  possible,  thus  enriching  your  knowledge  of 
the  story. 

4.  Tell  the  story  aloud,  though  by  yourself, 
vividly,  and  with  all  the  imagination  and  pictur- 
esque description  of  which  you  are  capable.  This 
practice  will  give  you  remarkable  development  in 
teaching  power.* 

5.  Plan  your  teaching,  deciding  in  advance  how 
you  will  ask  questions,  what  portions  of  the  story 
you  will  expect  the  students  to  narrate,  what  ex- 
planatory  additions  you   will   make,   and   particu- 

^  See  Stories  and  Story  Telling,  by  E.  P.  St.  John. 
It  would  be  well  also  to  read  a  short  paper  by  Professor 
R.  G.  Moulton  on  "The  Art  of  Telling  Bible  Stories"  in  the 
Proceedings  of  the  Second  Convention  of  the  Religious  Edu- 
cation Association,  pp.  26S. 


FOREWORD  TO  THE  TEACHER  xvu 

larly   what   general   impression   you    will   seek   to 
secure  from  the  whole  discussion. 

6.  Study  the  following  lesson  in  advance  in 
order  to  be  able  to  assign  to  particular  students 
portions  upon  which  they  shall  be  specially  pre- 
pared. The  paragraph  divisions,  discussing  about 
ten  or  twelve  topics  in  each  lesson,  have  been 
arranged  to  facilitate  such  assignment. 

7.  Particularly  cultivate  in  the  students  the 
faculty  of  vivid,  exact,  and  rapid  narration  of  the 
stories  with  special  reference  to  the  heroic  fea- 
tures. If  this  is  done  it  will  be  possible  to  deal 
with  somewhat  lengthy  narratives  within  the  ordi- 
nary lesson  time.  Let  a  wise  proportion  be  ob- 
served, allowing  more  time  for  narratives  of 
higher  moral  significance  and  making  the  neces- 
sary connections  by  vivid,  interesting  narration  on 
the  part  of  the  students. 

8.  In  almost  all  cases  avoid  detailed  discussion 
of  minute  matters.  This  is  a  study  in  large  out- 
lines and  will  be  most  effective  if  so  pursued. 

9.  Very  much  discretion  will  be  needed  in  deal- 
ing with  difficulties  that  may  arise  in  the  minds  of 
the  students.  Perhaps  to  the  majority  of  boys  and 
girls  of  eleven  and  twelve  years  of  age  the  simple, 
beautiful,  and  wonderful  stories  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment occasion  no  difficulty  or  question.  But  some 
may  be  troubled  by  the  miracle  stories,  or  by  the 
appearances  of  the  Lord  and  his  speech  to  men,  or 
by  the  moral  difficulties  in  some  of  the  narratives. 
It  is  seldom  wise  to  suggest  these  problems  to  young 


xvill         FOREWORD  TO  THE  TEACHER 

minds,  but  it  is  of  the  highest  importance  not  to 
repress  any  honest  objection.  We  must  never  tell 
children  that  they  must  believe  anything.  Faith 
cannot  be  forced.  As  a  matter  of  fact  we  are  not 
here  very  much  concerned  with  the  problems  of 
miracles,  etc, ;  we  are  taking  the  beautiful  stories 
as  they  are  and  seeking  to  appreciate  the  charac- 
ters which  they  present.  Let  the  students  under- 
stand that  life  was  full  of  miracle  to  the  people  of 
the  old  time.  What  we  call  conscience  and  provi- 
dence was  to  them  the  direct  voice  and  working  of 
God.  Let  them  find  in  these  wonderful  narra- 
tives the  picturesque  description  of  that  which  is 
spiritual  to  us.  Specific  suggestions  in  this  matter 
will  be  made  in  connection  with  narratives  that 
seem  to  require  it.  Let  it  be  repeated,  that  where 
no  problem  is  present  to  the  youthful  mind  it  is 
not  good  teaching  to  suggest  it.  Later  in  their 
mental  development  all  objections  must  be  con- 
sidered fairly.  We  must  of  course  be  especially 
careful  that  we  do  not  offend  the  moral  sense  of 
the  child.  The  Old  Testament  morality  was  in 
some  points  lower  than  our  own.  Let  us  never 
defend  a  wrong,  but  rather  make  use  of  the  fact 
to  show  the  advancement  that  the  race  has  made 
and  the  consequent  high  privilege  that  we  enjoy. 

10.  The  students  should  be  encouraged  to  do 
as  much  as  possible.  Let  them  follow  the  journeys 
on  the  maps.  A  good  plan  would  be  to  draw  an 
outline  map  upon  the  blackboard  and  have  the  stu- 
dents mark  the   roads  upon  which   the  journeys 


FOREWORi)  TO"  THE  TEACHER  xix 

were  made.  The  written  reviews  may  be  made  of 
great  expressional  value.  Hold  the  students  to  the 
written  work,  require  that  it  be  done  neatly,  and 
cultivate  in  it  the  exercise  of  the  imagination.  Per- 
haps some  of  the  papers  may  be  read  in  the  class.^ 
II.  It  need  scarcely  be  added  that  if  the  teacher 
is  to  hold  the  attention  of  the  students  he  must  be 
so  well  acquainted  with  his  subject  and  so 
thoroughly  prepared  to  lead  the  class  that  he  will 
be  able  to  look  into  the  eyes  of  the  students  and 
not  very  much  on  the  pages  of  the  book  during 
the  lesson  hour. 

^  For  some  further  discussion  of  pedagogical  method  see 
an  article  by  the  author  in  the  Biblical  World,  December, 
1906,  pp.  412-20,  on  "How  to  Teach  the  Sunday-School 
Lessons  for   1907." 


SUGGESTED  LITERATURE 

Hastings,  — .  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.  Single  vol.  ed. 
New  York:  Scribners.     Cloth,  $5. 

Stewart,  R.  L.  The  Land  of  Israel.  A  Textbook  on  the 
Physical  and  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land. 
Chicago:  Revell,  1899.     Pp.  352.     $1.50. 

Price,  Ira  M.  The  Monuments  and  the  Old  Testament. 
5th  ed.  Chicago :  Christian  Culture  Press,  1907.  Pp. 
321.    $1.50. 

Tristram,  H.  B.  Eastern  Customs  in  Bible  Lands.  New 
York:  Thomas  Whittaker,  1894.     Pp.  262.     $1.25. 

Kent,  Charles  F.  The  Historical  Bible.  Vol.  I.  "The 
Heroes  and  Crises  of  Early  Hebrew  History";  Vol. 
II.  "The  Founders  and  Rulers  of  United  Israel"; 
Vol.  III.  "The  PCings  and  Prophets  of  Israel  and 
Judah";  Vol.  IV.  "The  Leaders  and  Teachers  of 
Post-Exilic  Judaism."  New  York:  Scribners.  $1  a 
volume. 

The  New  Century  Bible.  Bennett,  W.  H.,  "Genesis"; 
Bennett,  W.  H.,  "Exodus";  Thatcher,  G.  W.,  "Judges 
and  Ruth";  Kennedy,  A.  R.  S.,  "Samuel";  Skinner, 
John,  "Kings."  Revised  Version  with  Notes,  Index, 
and  Maps.    New  York:  Frowde.    90  cents  a  volume. 

The  Biblical  World,  1907.    Expository  Articles.    The  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago  Press.     $2  a  volume. 
The  stories  of  the  heroes  may  be  taught  without  other 

help  than  the  textbooks  and  the  Bible,  but  the  teacher 

who  desires  to  do  the  best  work  and  to  gain  the  most 

from   the   year's    studies    may   well    consult    some    other 

books.     A  good  dictionary  of  the  Bible  answers  most  of 


xxu  SUGGESTED  LITERATURE 

the  questions  of  fact  that  arise,  and  its  biographical  articles 
will  be  found  very  helpful.  The  Historical  Geography 
will  help  to  make  vivid  the  scenes  of  the  stirring 
events  of  these  stories.  The  books  on  the  monuments 
and  on  Eastern  customs  reproduce  the  color  of  that  old 
life  in  which  the  heroes  lived.  The  series  of  books  by 
Professor  Kent,  the  first  two  of  which  are  already  pub- 
lished, furnish  the  historical  matter  necessary  for  that 
thorough  background  of  the  story,  which  the  teacher 
ought  to  secure.  A  good  commentary  is  valuable  for 
detailed  study.  The  little  volumes  of  the  New  Century 
Bible  are  admirable.  The  five  named  above  cover  all 
but  five  of  our  chapters.  The  Biblical  World  for  1907 
contained  forty-eight  expository  studies  on  the  Old 
Testament  stories  by  various  scholars.  They  will  be 
found  very  suggestive. 

Every  Sunday  school  should  have  a  good  working 
library  for  its  teachers.  All  of  the  works  named  here 
might  properly  be  included  in  it.  No  expenditure  in  the 
school  will  be  found  more  important  than  this  provision 
for  the  equipment  of  the  teaching  force. 

It  may  be  well  to  repeat  the  caution  that  while  the 
widest  study  of  each  story  in  its  setting  is  desirable  for 
the  teacher,  yet  for  the  student  the  story  is  to  be 
grasped  in  its  large  outlines  without  much  attention  to 
detail. 


THE  INTRODUCTORY  LESSON 

The  use  of  the  first  period  with  the  class. — 
The  first  day  on  which  the  class  meets  should 
arouse  a  distinct  interest  in  the  study  of  the  year. 
This  hour  is  often  wasted  in  merely  general  direc- 
tions. The  teacher  should  prepare  a  definite  intro- 
ductory lesson.  It  is  highly  desirable  that  the 
students'  books  should  be  on  hand.  They  should 
not,  however,  be  given  out  until  the  close  of  the 
study.  If  the  students  have  the  books  in  their 
hands  the  novelty  of  a  new  book  and  the  interest 
in  the  pictures  will  attract  their  attention  and  the 
hour  is  likely  to  be  largely  wasted.  It  is  the 
purpose  of  the  teacher  to  prepare  the  students  to 
be  interested  in  the  first  study  of  the  course.  The 
material  covered  in  the  introductory  study  should 
be  that  indicated  in  the  Foreword  to  the  Student. 

Aim  of  the  lesson. — If  any  lesson  is  to  be  suc- 
cessful the  teacher  must  have  a  definite  aim. 
Something  is  to  be  accomplished  by  the  use  of  the 
material.  This  aim  should  be  thought  out  with 
great  care  and  kept  in  mind  throughout  the  entire 
lesson.  Everything  should  contribute  to  its  ful- 
filment. Nothing  should  be  allowed  to  disturb  it. 
The  aim  in  this  first  lesson  should  be  to  help  the 
students  to  feel  the  value  and  interest  of  the 
course  of  study  which  they  are  beginning.  The 
teacher  will  sometimes  find  it  advantageous  to  an- 


XXIV  THE  INTRODUCTORY  LESSON 

nounce  the  aim  of  the  lesson  to  the  class,  but  it 
must  always  be  expressed  in  a  manner  to  be  inter- 
esting to  the  students.  The  teacher  may  well  begin 
with  the  statement:  "We  are  going  to  study  the 
stories  of  the  heroes  of  Israel  this  year.  Today 
we  are  going  to  see  why  they  ought  to  be  inter- 
esting to  us." 

The  discussion  method. — The  teacher  ought  to 
begin  from  the  outset  to  talk  with  the  class  rather 
than  to  talk  to  the  class.  Even  if  close  attention 
can  be  secured  by  talking  to  the  students,  that  must 
not  be  regarded  as  proof  of  successful  teaching. 
It  is  only  when  the  students  are  expressing  them- 
selves that  they  are  really  learning.  The  method 
of  question  and  answer  therefore  is  to  be  desired; 
it  is  the  purpose  of  the  teacher  to  draw  out  what 
the  student  knows  and  what  he  thinks,  and  to  help 
him  to  clearer  thinking. 

The  point  of  contact. — It  is  important  to  bear 
in  mind  that  we  must  always  begin  with  thoughts 
that  are  already  in  the  student's  mind.  We  can- 
not of  a  sudden  transport  him  to  Palestine  and 
carry  him  back  4,000  years  and  expect  him  to 
realize  the  conditions  that  were  there.  If  the  old 
stories  are  to  be  real  to  him  they  must  be  con- 
nected with  the  thoughts  and  experiences  of  com- 
mon life.  The  point  of  contact  means  that  point 
in  the  student's  thought  at  which  the  teacher  can 
begin  in  order  to  lead  him  to  the  thought  of  the 
lesson.  We  are  desirous  at  the  outset  that  the  idea 
of  a  national  hero  shall  be  very  clear.    The  teacher 


THE  INTRODUCTORY  LESSON  xxv 

may  well  begin  then  with  the  statement,  that  every- 
body loves  a  hero,  and  then  ask  one  of  the  stu- 
dents to  name  some  hero.  It  does  not  matter  very 
much  who  is  named.  It  may  be  an  athletic  hero, 
it  may  be  a  local  hero.  Let  every  member  of  the 
class  have  an  opportunity  to  make  his  suggestion. 
Then  call  for  some  American  heroes.  They  will 
be  likely  to  mention  the  great  soldiers,  but  be  sure 
to  draw  from  them  the  names  of  Hamilton,  Frank- 
lin, Sumner,  Clay,  Wendell  Phillips,  Henry  Ward 
Beecher,  and  others  who  represent  the  spiritual 
greatness  of  America.  There  will  be  no  objection 
to  the  inclusion  of  great  men  in  the  political  and 
social  life  of  today.  The  students  will  thus  be 
prepared  for  the  simple  definition  of  the  hero  given 
in  the  first  paragraph  of  their  books. 

The  first  reason  for  interest. — Ask  the  mem- 
bers of  the  class  why  they  like  to  hear  the  stories 
of  heroes.  They  are  likely  to  say  that  such  stories 
are  full  of  adventure,  of  war,  of  bravery;  that 
they  are  exciting;  that  they  are  full  of  action.  It 
would  be  well  to  find  out  in  advance  what  books 
of  adventure  they  are  accustomed  to  read  and 
what  they  like  in  them.  Then  explain  that  the 
heroes  whom  we  are  to  study  lived  lives  full  of 
adventure.  Tell  them  that  we  shall  find  stories  of 
war,  of  adventure,  of  hairbreadth  escapes,  of  boys 
going  away  from  home,  of  strong  men  standing 
up  for  the  weak,  of  patriots  risking  their  lives  for 
their  nation,  of  noble  men  incurring  danger  for 
duty,   and   of   some  true,   strong-hearted   women. 


XXVI  THE  INTRODUCTORY  LESSON 

Tell  them  that  many  young  people  would  be  sur- 
prised if  they  knew  what  wonderful  stories  there 
are  in  the  Bible. 

The  second  reason  for  interest. — Tell  the  class 
to  note  that  these  stories  are  those  of  the  Heroes 
of  Israel.  Ask  what  that  means.  Draw  from 
them  the  facts  that  the  people  of  Israel  were  the 
old  nation  that  lived  in  Palestine,  and  that  the 
people  who  are  descended  from  them  are  now  called 
the  Jews.  It  will  be  well  to  face  definitely  the 
prejudice  that  is  likely  to  be  found  against  the 
Jews.  Ask  the  class  why  so  many  people  dislike 
the  Jews.  Tell  them  that  the  Jews  have  been 
bitterly  persecuted  for  two  thousand  years.  Try 
to  arouse  their  sympathy  for  the  people  who  have 
been  murdered  in  Russian  persecutions,  and  who 
even  in  America  are  called  by  shameful  names. 
Let  them  see  that  the  race  so  long  oppressed,  and 
cheated,  and  hated  might  very  naturally  develop 
some  objectionable  qualities,  but  remind  them  that 
the  Jews  have  had  a  great  place  in  making  the 
world.  Give  them  the  names  of  some  noted 
Hebrews  like  Mendelssohn  the  musician,  Disraeli 
the  English  statesman,  Baron  Hirsch  the  philan- 
thropist. There  may  be  some  in  your  own  com- 
munity. Let  the  class  see  that  we  really  owe  our 
religion  to  the  Jews.  Every  word  of  the  Bible 
was  written  by  a  Jew.  And  when  our  great  orators 
are  seeking  for  the  noblest  eloquence  they  use 
the  language  of  the  Bible.  Ask  them  who  was 
the  greatest  of  all  the  Jews,  that  they  may  under- 


THE  INTRODUCTORY  LESSON         xxvii 

stand  that  the  Savior  was  also  a  hero  of  Israel. 
Then  tell  them  that  long  before  these  persecu- 
tions began  there  were  great  heroes  in  the  old 
Hebrew  past — warriors,  kings,  statesmen,  preachers. 
We  are  going  to  study  these  men  because  of  their 
greatness,  and  because  of  what  they  and  their 
people  have  done  for  the  world.  When  we  finish 
this  book  we  hope  we  shall  have  some  great  friends 
among  the  old  Israelites,  and  we  hope  that  we  shall 
understand  them  better. 

The  third  reason  for  interest. — Ask  the  stu- 
dents again  why  they  read  the  stories  of  heroes. 
They  will  probably  answer  that  they  are  interest- 
ing. Then  ask  them  if  the  stories  do  them  any 
good,  and  how  they  do  them  good.  The  teacher 
ought  to  be  able  to  secure  some  very  interesting 
responses  to  these  questions.  Let  them  all  lead  to 
the  conclusion  that  we  read  the  stories  of  heroes 
so  that  we  can  see  how  great  men  act,  and  thus 
we  shall  learn  to  act  greatly  ourselves.  Then  ask 
them  whether  they  would  get  any  good  from  read- 
ing the  story  of  a  good  man  who  did  some  wrong 
things,  and  they  may  be  led  to  answer  that  we  are 
warned  not  to  do  such  things  ourselves.  Let  them 
see  that  we  are  going  to  make  a  genuine  study  of 
the  old  heroes  in  all  that  was  good  and  all  that  was 
bad  that  we  may  be  helped  in  the  questions  of  our 
own  duty. 

The  study  of  the  Bible  stories. — Inform  the 
class  that  it  is  important  to  consider  how  these 
stories  are  to  be  studied.     The  first  thing  is  to 


xxvm        THE  INTRODUCTORY  LESSON 

realize  that  they  are  written  in  a  very  old  book. 
By  careful  questions  draw  out  from  them  that  the 
Bible  is  different  in  language  from  other  books, 
because  it  was  translated  into  English  three  hun- 
dred years  ago.  We  might  put  these  stories  into 
modern  English  that  would  be  very  easy  to  read, 
but  the  old  language  is  so  beautiful,  and  we  find 
it  quoted  by  the  great  authors  so  often,  that  we 
need  to  learn  the  stories  just  as  they  have  come 
down  to  us  in  the  Bible.  We  want  to  remember 
them  always  in  their  most  beautiful  form.  Ex- 
plain, however,  that  there  are  some  parts  of  the 
stories  very  difficult  for  young  students,  and  there 
are  some  very  hard  names  of  the  old  Hebrew  time. 
Most  of  these  difficulties  have  been  removed  from 
the  stories  as  printed  in  the  textbook,  but  they  will 
still  need  very  careful  study  in  order  to  under- 
stand them  fully. 

Ask  the  students  what  is  the  difference  between 
reading  a  story  and  studying  it.  Ask  if  any  of 
them  ever  studied  the  story  of  Robinson  Crusoe, 
or  whether  they  just  read  it.  Draw  out  from  the 
students  that  studying  involves  thinking,  finding 
the  meaning,  fully  understanding.  Then  explain 
to  them  that  their  Student's  Book  is  so  constructed 
as  to  enable  them  to  understand  the  stories. 

The  plan  of  the  Student's  Book. — Ask  the 
members  of  the  class  whether  in  taking  up  a  new 
book  in  arithmetic  they  can  always  understand  in 
a  moment  just  how  to  use  it.  So  let  them  see  that 
some  care  is  necessary  in  order  to  see  how  to  use 


THE  INTRODUCTORY  LESSON  xxix 

this  book.  At  this  point  give  to  every  member  of 
the  class  a  copy  of  the  Student's  Book,  and  tell 
them  to  open  at  p.  3.  Let  them  notice  that  after 
the  title  there  is  written  the  words  The  Story. 
Let  them  see  that  the  story  extends  as  far  as  p.  6. 
Explain  to  them  that  it  is  just  like  any  story. 
There  is  no  explanation  in  it;  it  just  tells  them 
what  happened.  Then  on  p.  6  there  is  a  new  title, 
The  Meaning  of  the  Story.  Tell  them  that  that 
is  the  explanation  of  what  has  been  studied.  Then 
on  p.  8  they  will  notice  a  third  title,  Written 
Review,  which  shows  the  work  that  the  student 
is  to  do  at  the  end. 

Preparation  for  the  next  lesson. — Tell  the  class 
that  we  are  going  to  find  out  together  the  way  in 
which  these  lessons  ought  to  be  studied.  Direct 
the  members  to  make  a  review  of  this  Introduc- 
tory Lesson  by  reading  the  Foreword  to  the  Stu- 
dent. Then  for  the  next  meeting  of  the  class  they 
are  to  read  the  first  story  only  as  far  as  the  begin- 
ning of  p.  6.  Explain  that  we  shall  take  up  The 
Meaning  of  the  Story  in  class  at  the  next  meet- 
ing, showing  exactly  how  that  part  of  the  lesson 
ought  to  be  used.  Urge  them  to  be  sure  to  read 
the  story,  as  the  next  lesson  will  be  a  failure  if  that 
has  not  been  done. 


ABRAHAM 

I.    Abraham,  the  Father  of  the  Faithful 
n.    Abraham,  the  Magnanimous 
III.    Abraham  and  Isaac 


I.    ABRAHAM,  THE  FATHER  OF  THE 
FAITHFUL 
References: 

Stewart,  pp.  12,  13,  44,  45,  237-40. 

Tristram,  pp.  49-55. 

Price,  pp.  91-101. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Abraham,"  "Ur  of 

the  Chaldees,"  "Haran." 
Biblical   World,  January,   1907,  pp.  34-40;  February, 
19c?,  pp.  133-41. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

The  teacher  has  really  a  twofold  purpose  in  the 
teaching  of  this  lesson:  First,  to  introduce  the 
students  to  the  method  of  study,  so  that  they  may 
know  exactly  how  to  use  their  books ;  second,  to 
give  them  the  meaning  of  this  particular  lesson, 
which  is  the  heroism  of  the  man  who  left  his  own 
land  because  he  had  a  great  hope  of  the  future 
before  him  and  his  descendants  in  the  West. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

The  central  meaning  of  this  story  lies  in  Abra- 
ham's movement  to  the  promised  land.  His  people, 
of  the  Terah  clan,  were  in  the  rich  and  populous 
country  of  Babylonia.  They  had  the  feeling  of  mi- 
gration in  them.  Just  as  our  fathers  moved  west- 
ward, so  did  they.  They  could  not  move  straight 
westward,  for  the  desert  lay  between,  but  they  could 

3 


4  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

take  their  course  along  the  great  trade  route  which 
led  up  the  Euphrates  Valley  to  Haran.  From  this 
point  ran  the  caravan  road  that  crossed  the  Eu- 
phrates and  led  down  to  Syria.  But  Haran  was 
a  fertile  country,  and  the  Terah  clan  remained 
there.  We  are  not  to  think  of  these  people,  of 
course,  as  a  small  family,  but  as  a  considerable 
body  with  relatives,  and  slaves,  and  servants,  with 
large  herds  of  cattle,  flocks  of  sheep,  camels,  and 
asses,  the  whole  caravan  strong  enough  to  make 
this  independent  movement  without  fear  of  attack. 
The  purpose  of  the  migration  of  Terah  being 
secured  by  finding  a  prosperous  and  convenient 
place  of  sojourn  in  Haran,  the  clan  took  up  its 
abode  there.  But  Abraham  was  not  satisfied.  He 
decided  to  go  farther  west.  In  some  way  that  we 
do  not  understand  he  was  not  an  idolater  like  the 
Babylonians.  He  was  a  man  with  a  great  recog- 
nition of  God.  A  mysterious  impulse  urged  him 
to  leave  his  kindred  and  go  into  the  Westland, 
where  he  might  become  the  progenitor  of  a  race 
devoted  to  the  service  of  his  God.  The  narrator  of 
Gen.  12:1-3  records  the  conviction  of  later  Israel 
that  the  migration  of  Abraham  was  not  an  accident 
but  a  great  movement  of  destiny,  a  part  of  the  pur- 
pose of  God  to  make  a  nation  who  should  not  wor- 
ship idols  but  the  living  God.  No  nation  has  ever 
put  so  noble  a  declaration  at  the  beginning  of  its 
national  records. 

The   closing   incident   in   the   story    reveals    a 
weakness   in  the  brave  man.     Abraham   thought 


ABRAHAM,  FATHER  OF  THE  FAITHFUL         $ 

that  he  was  in  a  place  where  truthfulness  would 
not  be  safe,  so  he  failed  to  do  right.  We  do  well 
to  pray,  "Lead  us  not  into  temptation." 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  A.  The  Ancient  World.— In  this  first  story 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  geographical  significance.  Four 
lands  are  brought  before  us — Babylonia,  Mesopotamia, 
Canaan,  Egypt.  The  whole  of  the  ancient  East  ought 
to  be  understood  in  a  simple  way  in  order  to  make  the 
story  real.  A  glance  at  the  map  at  once  reveals  the 
main  features  of  the  ancient  world.  Two  mighty  river 
systems  are  of  the  first  importance.  In  the  east  is  the 
Tigris-Euphrates  flowing  into  the  Persian  Gulf,  water- 
ing a  great  fertile  plain.  The  lower  part  of  this  is 
Babylonia.  The  upper  part  is  Mesopotamia,  the  mean- 
ing of  which  is  "between  the  rivers."  In  the  west  is  the 
Nile,  whose  fertility  makes  the  long  ribbon-like  country 
of  Egypt,  expanding  by  the  many  mouths  of  the  river 
into  the  rich  Delta.  Between  these  two  river  systems 
and  connecting  them  is  the  highland  country  with  many 
fertile  valleys  and  plateaus.  It  lies  along  the  Medi- 
terranean coast.  The  lower  part  is  known  as  Palestine 
or  Canaan,  and  the  upper  part  Syria.  This  whole  region 
is  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  world  by  natural 
boundaries :  great  mountain  chains  on  the  east  and 
north,  deserts  on  the  south  and  west.  The  tides  of 
travel,  of  commerce,  and  of  war,  passed  up  the  Euphrates 
to  Carchemish,  down  between  the  mountains  to  Damas- 
cus, across  to  the  sea,  and  thence  by  the  coast  road  to 
Egypt;  and  the  returning  tides  rolled  back  again.  The 
dwellers  in  Palestine  therefore  were  in  the  very  center 
of  the  ancient  world.  Our  first  story  just  touches  the 
various   parts    of   this    ancient   world.     Abraham    leaves 


6  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Babylonia,  lingers  in  Mesopotamia,  journeys  to  Canaan, 
sojourns  in  Egypt. 

Note  B.  The  migrations. — Through  all  history  peoples 
have  been  moving  from  the  more  settled  to  the  less  set- 
tled lands.  Very  largely  this  has  been  a  westward  move- 
ment. "Westward  the  star  of  empire  takes  its  way." 
When  we  go  back  four  thousand  years  we  see  this  west- 
ward movement  in  full  progress.  Peoples  were  pushing 
from  the  Far  East  into  Babylonia  and  other  peoples  were 
moving  from  Babylonia  up  into  Mesopotamia,  and  then 
farther  west.  The  journeys  of  Terah,  and  afterward  of 
Abraham,  are  to  be  understood  as  part  of  the  general 
migrations  of  tribes  and  clans  as  they  were  thus  pressed 
upon  from  behind,  and  as  they  saw  hopes  before  them. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

It  is  understood  that  the  second  meeting  of  the 
class  is  to  be  devoted  to  detail  work  in  the  method 
of  study.  It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that 
every  student  should  have  received  his  book  the 
previous  week  and  have  read  over  the  story.  The 
lesson  is  to  be  devoted  to  securing  familiarity  with 
the  mechanical  construction  and  the  study  method 
of  the  student's  book.  The  teacher  should,  of 
course,  have  a  thorough  understanding  of  the  stu- 
dent's book  in  advance,  and  should  know  every 
point  of  this  lesson  so  as  to  go  through  it  with 
ease  and  rapidity.  It  may  be  said  here  once  and 
for  all  that  if  any  teacher  thinks  that  this  course  can 
be  carried  on  with  a  mere  glance  at  the  lesson  it  will 
be  better  for  all  parties  concerned  to  give  up  the 
matter  at  once.  The  course  is  not  at  all  difficult, 
but  it  does  require  care.     The  best  results  will  be 


ABRAHAM,  FATHER  OF  THE  FAITHFUL       7 

obtained  at  this  second  meeting  of  the  class  if  the 
students  can  sit  around  a  table  with  their  books 
open  before  them.  If  that  is  impossible  in  the  ordi- 
nary place  of  meeting,  the  teacher  would  do  well 
to  arrange  the  second  meeting  of  the  class  at  a 
private  house  during  the  week. 

THE   POINT   OF    CONTACT 

The  problem  of  securing  attention  is  always 
important.  When  the  class  assembles,  a  hundred 
matters  of  immediate  interest  are  in  the  minds  of 
the  students,  and  the  matter  of  which  they  are 
thinking  least  is  Abraham.  Often  the  best  begin- 
ning will  be  suggested  by  some  local  condition. 
But  as  this  is  a  story  of  migration,  we  may  well 
start  with  the  student's  knowledge  of  great  western 
movements.  Ask,  Who  discovered  America?  Why 
did  he  sail  to  the  west?  Let  the  answers  bring 
out  the  faith  and  hope  of  Columbus.  This  may  be 
followed  by  the  question,  Who  first  came  from 
England  to  America,  and  why  did  they  come?  Let 
the  answers  bring  out  the  faith  and  hope  of  the 
Pilgrims.  We  may  go  farther  and  ask.  Who  first 
settled  our  own  state?  Then  in  order  to  make  a 
closer  connection  with  our  purpose,  ask.  Do  these 
pioneers  seem  to  us  to  be  heroes  ?  Then  announce, 
We  are  going  to  study  today  about  one  of  the 
first  of  the  pioneers  who  ever  went  west. 

THE  ARRANGEMENT  OF  THE  STORIES 

Tell  the  members  of  the  class  that  the  under- 
standing and  enjoyment  of  the  stories  will  depend 


8  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

upon  their  ability  to  use  the  book  easily.  Tell  them 
to  open  the  book  at  p.  3.  Call  for  some  student  to 
give  the  title.  Let  another  explain  what  is  meant 
by  the  subtitle,  The  Story.  Ask  another  how 
many  pages  are  occupied  with  The  Story.  Then 
direct  their  attention  to  the  sections  and  the  sec- 
tion titles.  (The  section  mark  [§]  should  be  ex- 
plained.) Let  the  students  give  the  titles  of  the 
four  sections.  Explain  that  it  is  understood  that 
all  the  students  have  read  the  story.  It  is  our  pur- 
pose to  see  now  how  it  ought  to  be  studied. 

Tell  them  to  turn  to  p.  6,  and  to  note  the  title 
The  Meaning  of  the  Story.  Explain  that  we 
shall  find  in  every  lesson  under  this  title  about  ten 
paragraphs.  In  these  paragraphs  there  are  some 
explanations  and  some  questions.  The  questions 
can  always  be  answered  from  the  story  itself,  and 
if  the  students  understand  the  explanation  and 
know  the  answers  to  the  questions  they  will  have 
the  meaning  of  the  story. 

1.  The  first  hero. — Let  the  whole  class  look  at 
paragraph  i.  Call  their  attention  to  §  i  in  paren- 
thesis, and  explain  that  that  means  that  this  first 
paragraph  is  dealing  with  §  i  of  the  story.  Let 
them  turn  back  to  p.  3  and  give  the  title  of  §1. 
Help  them  to  see  that  the  questions  in  this  para- 
graph are  easily  answered  from  the  story.  Have 
the  class  repeat  in  concert  the  name  of  the  first  hero 
and  the  name  of  his  father. 

2.  The  old  home. — Tell  them  to  look  at  the 
second  paragraph  and  to  notice  from  the  parenthe- 


ABRAHAM,  FATHER  OF  THE  FAITHFUL       9 

sis  that  it  still  deals  with  the  same  section  of  the 
story.  It  would  be  well  to  refer  back  to  p.  3  again, 
and  have  them  repeat  the  title  of  the  section.  The 
first  question  is  easily  answered,  but,  of  course,  the 
name  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  is  a  difficult  one.  Let  the 
class  see,  however,  that  the  location  of  the  town 
and  the  character  of  the  country  is  all  explained. 
Have  them  turn  to  the  map  at  the  very  beginning 
of  the  book,  and  find  Ur  in  the  east  just  under  the 
name  Babylonia.  Show  them  that  we  are  asked  to 
think  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  in  order  to  realize 
what  a  rich  country  Abraham  came  from, 

J.  The  first  settlement. — We  are  now  to  look  at 
paragraph  3.  Let  the  class  notice  that  we  are  still 
dealing  with  §1.  Have  them  look  again  at  the  map 
and  realize  that  the  desert  lies  between  Ur  and 
Canaan.  Ask  them  whether  it  would  be  easy  to 
cross  such  an  extent  of  desert.  Then  ask  them 
how  a  man  could  pass  from  Ur  to  Canaan.  If  the 
students  are  interested  they  will  easily  see  that  there 
must  have  been  roads  following  the  course  of  the 
Euphrates,  and  that  those  roads  would  be  the 
natural  way  of  the  journeying.  They  might,  to  be 
sure,  think  that  it  was  done  in  boats,  but  caravans 
never  moved  in  that  way  in  ancient  times.  Let 
them  trace  the  course  of  the  route  up  into  north- 
ern Mesopotamia.  Find  Haran  (also  spelled 
Harran)  near  the  top  of  the  map.  Ask  the  question 
whether  it  probably  took  a  long  time  for  the  whole 
tribe  to  make  this  journey,  and  whether,  as  Haran 


lO  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

was  a  fertile  country,  it  would  not  be  likely  that 
they  would  stay  there. 

Direct  the  attention  of  the  class  to  the  fact  that 
so  far  §  I  has  been  studied.  Review  what  has  been 
learned. 

4.  Abraham's  call. — We  pass  to  paragraph  4 
which  deals  with  §2.  It  is  an  explanation  of  the 
reason  why  Abraham  felt  that  he  ought  to  go  to 
the  Westland.  Have  the  class  recite  together  the 
wonderful  speech  of  the  Lord  to  Abraham,  and  tell 
them  to  learn  it  for  the  next  lesson. 

5.  The  journey  to  Canaan. — We  have  another 
geographical  question  here.  The  question  arises, 
how  Abraham  continued  his  journey.  Let  the  map 
be  opened  again.  Follow  the  road  a  little  way  west 
from  Haran  to  Carchemish,  then  southward  be- 
tween the  mountains  to  Damascus,  and  thence  into 
Canaan.  It  would  be  very  good  exercise  to  ask  one 
of  the  class  to  make  a  rough  map  on  the  black- 
board, indicating  the  journeys  we  have  so  far  been 
studying. 

6.  The  time  of  the  journeys. — Ask  the  class  if 
anyone  has  thought  about  the  length  of  time  the 
journey  would  take.  This  is  a  natural  and  inter- 
esting question,  and  it  may  be  well  to  explain  that 
nearly  all  the  natural  questions  that  arise  in  these 
stories  will  be  taken  up  and  explained  in  The 
Meaning  of  the  Story.  Follow  the  explanation 
here  given. 

7.  The  meaning  of  the  journeys. — This  is  a 
good  point  in  the  lesson  at  which  to  consider  what 


ABRAHAM,  FATHER  OF  THE  FAITHFUL     il 

all  these  journeys  meant.  It  is  suggested  that  we 
make  a  comparison  with  our  Pilgrim  Fathers.  The 
teacher  should  arrange  that  some  Bibles  be  in  the 
class,  so  that  the  references  here  given  may  be 
looked  up.  The  members  of  the  class  should  be 
asked  to  read  them.  Let  the  students  feel  that 
God  spoke  to  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  as  surely  as  he 
spoke  to  Abraham,  and  that  every  impulse  for 
good  is  God's  voice. 

8.  Abraham's  religion. — We  are  taken  in  this 
paragraph  to  §3,  and  we  are  led  to  think  of  the 
religious  character  of  this  hero.  Let  the  class  note 
that  all  of  the  questions,  except  the  last,  can  be 
answered  from  the  story.  The  last  question  is  one 
on  which  they  are  to  think.  It  will  be  easy  for 
them  to  understand  that  in  those  old  days  men  built 
altars,  where  in  these  days  we  have  services  of 
worship.  Abraham  was  a  man  who  never  forgot 
to  call  upon  God. 

p.  The  visit  to  Egypt. — We  pass  on  to  §  4. 
There  is  an  opportunity  at  this  point  to  make  clear 
the  way  in  which  Abraham  lived.  He  was,  of 
course,  a  wanderer  like  the  modern  Arabs.  He  lived 
in  tents,  and  moved  from  place  to  place  to  find  pas- 
ture for  his  flocks  and  herds.  Naturally  a  drought 
was  an  exceedingly  serious  matter  for  such  a  man. 
This  lesson  has  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  geogra- 
phy and  indeed  has  enabled  us  to  get  a  good  view 
of  the  ancient  Semitic  world.  We  turn  to  the  map 
again,  and  complete  our  study  of  its  great  features 
by  finding  Egypt.    Let  the  students  see  the  locality 


12  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

in  the  south  of  Canaan  that  was  called  by  the  geo- 
graphical name,  the  South.  Let  them  notice  what 
a  short  journey  it  was  from  there  by  the  coast  road 
to  Egypt.  It  will  be  easy  to  draw  from  them  the 
information  that  the  overflow  of  the  Nile  keeps 
Egypt  free  from  drought  and  famine. 

10.  Abraham's  failure. — The  last  paragraph 
deals  still  with  §4.  It  may  be  very  briefly  treated. 
The  young  students  will  not  realize  the  heinous- 
ness  of  Abraham's  fall,  but  they  will  recognize 
that  he  was  a  coward  in  the  matter.  It  is  good  that 
they  pass  judgment  on  his  conduct,  and  that  they 
learn  to  be  reasonable  in  judging  a  single  wrong 
in  a  great  life. 

After  going  through  the  lesson  thus  point  by 
point,  it  will  be  well  rapidly  to  review  the  method 
of  study.  Drill  the  class  thoroughly  so  that  they 
understand  the  divisions,  the  numbers,  the  sections, 
and  the  whole  plan  upon  which  each  lesson  is  con- 
structed. If  the  students  can  acquire  the  habit  of 
using  the  suggestions  and  answering  the  questions 
in  The  Meaning  of  the  Story  the  whole  year's 
work  is  likely  to  be  successful. 

Summary 

After  having  gone  through  the  entire  lesson  in 
detail  it  is  well  to  sum  up  its  great  significance. 
Ask  the  students  to  think  how  much  it  meant,  not 
only  to  Israel  but  to  the  whole  world,  that  Abra' 
ham  took  his  journey  to  the  Westland.  Suppose 
Abraham  had  never  left  the  East.    Suppose  he  had 


ABRAHAM,  FATHER  OF  THE  FAITHFUL     13 

stayed  in  the  fertile  valley  and  never  cared  for  the 
promised  land.  We  should  never  have  had  the 
Bible.  There  would  have  been  no  Moses,  no 
prophets,  no  apostles,  no  nation  from  which  the 
Christ  might  come. 

How  much  we  owe  to  the  heroes  who  have 
been  willing  to  leave  the  settled,  comfortable  lands 
and  take  journeys  to  the  new  lands.  So  Columbus 
found  the  new  continent,  and  the  Pilgrims  made 
America,  and  the  pioneers  from  the  eastern  states 
built  up  the  western  commonwealths.  And,  like 
Abraham,  these  were  men  of  vision  rather  than  ad- 
venturers. They  went  out,  not  knowing  whither 
they  went,  but  sure  that  God  was  guiding  them. 
Because  Abraham  was  the  first  of  these  pioneers 
in  all  the  history  of  which  we  know  he  was  called 
the  Father  of  the  Faithful. 

Written  Review 

Explain  to  the  class  the  importance  of  under- 
standing the  countries  in  which  the  heroes  lived. 
Ask  them  to  prepare  the  map  just  as  directed  in 
their  books,  and  as  they  draw  the  map  to  think  of 
Abraham  moving  with  his  caravan  from  place  to 
place. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
It  is  always  desirable  to  awaken  an  interest  in 
the  next  lesson.  It  can  usually  be  done  without 
breaking  the  unity  of  the  lesson  in  hand.  Here  the 
teacher  may  close  by  asking:  What  great  wealth 
did  Abraham  possess  ?    Why  did  this  make  it  neces- 


14  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

sary  for  him  to  move  from  one  pasture  land  to 
another?  Remember  that  he  had  his  nephew  with 
him.  What  was  his  name?  Suppose  they  should 
come  to  a  place  where  there  would  not  be  enough 
pasture  land  for  the  animals  of  both  Abraham  and 
Lot,  would  there  be  any  danger  of  a  quarrel  ?  Then 
announce  that  the  next  lesson  shows  how  this 
very  thing  happened  and  how  Abraham  behaved; 
that  the  class  is  to  read  the  lesson  and  study  it  as 
has  been  done  today;  and  that  next  week  we  shall 
have  a  different  plan  of  recitation. 


11.    ABRAHAM,  THE  MAGNANIMOUS 

References: 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Cities  of  the  Plain," 

"Chedorlaomer,"  "Melchizedek." 
Biblical  World,  February,  1907,  pp.  142-44,  147-49. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  exhibit  Abraham's  fine  magnanimity  in  sur- 
rendering the  best  of  the  land  to  Lot,  in  rescuing 
him  and  refusing  to  receive  pay  for  his  service,  and 
in  his  earnest  prayer  for  the  doomed  city. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

There  was  a  large  increase  in  the  cattle  and 
flocks  of  the  two  kinsmen,  and  it  was  hard  to  find 
sufficient  pasturage.  The  servants  were  the  first  to 
quarrel,  and  the  masters  might  soon  have  been  in- 
volved. But  Abraham  saw  the  danger.  He  might 
well  have  taken  the  best  of  the  land  for  himself, 
for  he  was,  of  course,  at  the  head  of  the  clan. 
Most  generously  he  offered  the  choice  to  his 
nephew.  Lot  without  any  hesitation  accepted  the 
opportunity  to  take  the  best.  He  chose  the  rich 
valley  of  the  river  Jordan.  Abraham  without  ob- 
jection took  what  was  left.  But  the  Lord  promised 
him  the  whole  land  as  an  inheritance.  So  it  often 
happens  that  reward  comes  to  the  generous.  Mag- 
nanimity here  appears  as  one  of  the  heroic  qualities. 

The  invasion  of  the  territory  to  which  Lot  had 
IS 


lb  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

moved  gave  Abraham  another  opportunity  of  gen- 
erosity. He  might  have  said  that  it  was  no  con- 
cern of  his  to  interfere.  He  might  have  said  that 
it  served  Lot  right  for  moving  to  that  land.  But 
Abraham  was  magnanimous.  He  pursued  the 
marauders,  put  them  to  flight  in  a  night  attack, 
and  recovered  all  the  spoil.  He  generously  gave 
everything  back  to  the  owners,  refusing  any 
reward. 

EXPLANATORY   NOTES 

Note  C.  The  invasion  of  the  five  kings. — The  strong 
kings  of  the  East  were  very  much  inclined  to  make 
expeditions  to  the  West  for  the  purpose  of  subduing  the 
people  and  compelling  them  to  pay  tribute.  Note  that 
these  kings  came  from  the  same  region  from  which 
Abraham's  clan  started  at  the  first.  They  followed  the 
same  route  up  the  Euphrates  Valley  and  down  from 
Carchemish  which  Abraham  had  first  taken.  They  came 
to  the  southern  limit  of  the  Jordan  Valley  where  Lot  had 
taken  up  his  residence.  They  conquered  the  inhabitants 
and,  as  was  their  custom,  marched  off  with  the  captives 
and  the  booty.  Robber  raids  of  this  kind  were  very 
common  in  ancient  times. 

Note  D.  Abraham's  fighting  force. — As  we  have  had 
occasion  to  notice  several  times,  the  movement  of  Abraham 
was  that  of  a  considerable  clan.  We  must  not  think  of  a 
small  family  making  this  trip.  In  this  story  it  appears 
that  he  could  call  together  immediately  318  young  men, 
all  of  whom  were  born  in  his  own  household.  Slavery 
was  the  custom.  People  had  not  come  to  see  that  it  was 
wrong,  as  in  more  modern  times.  It  was  quite  natural 
for  such  a  patriarch  as  Abraham  to  have  a  little  army 
of  servants  who  really  belonged  to  him. 


ABRAHAM.  THE  MAGNANIMOUS  17 

Note  E.  The  appearances  of  the  Lord. — We  con- 
stantly note  in  our  stories  that  the  Lord  seems  to  appear 
and  speak  to  men.  The  narrative  of  Gen.,  chap.  18,  a 
part  of  which  we  study,  presents  more  strikingly  per- 
haps than  any  other  the  idea  of  God  appearing  in  human 
form  and  talking  with  men.  It  is,  of  course,  a  very 
simple  and  primitive  religious  idea,  showing  that  we  are 
really  dealing  with  very  old  stories.  Men  supposed  that 
Jehovah  lived  in  the  sky,  and  came  down  to  see  what 
was  going  on  and  to  talk  with  his  people.  It  was  their 
simple,  picturesque  way  of  stating  what  we  should  ex- 
press spiritually  in  terms  of  conscience  and  communion. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE   POINT   OF    CONTACT 

Turning  to  a  member  of  the  class  the  teacher 
might  ask,  "Suppose  I  had  a  plate  of  apples,  one 
for  each  member  of  this  class.  Suppose  some  of 
them  were  large  and  some  of  them  were  small,  and 
I  passed  it  first  to  you.  Which  one  do  you  think 
you  ought  to  take?"  With  that  beginning,  which 
may  give  a  touch  of  humor,  and  so  open  the  class 
in  a  friendly  spirit,  there  may  be  a  brief  discussion 
of  the  propriety  of  giving  the  best  to  others.  The 
teacher  is  then  ready  to  state  that  we  are  going  to 
see  how  Abraham  behaved  when  he  had  a  good 
chance  to  take  the  best. 

Ask  the  students  how  they  have  studied  the 
lesson.  Be  sure  that  they  know  the  proper  way  to 
proceed,  and  that  they  are  really  doing  it  seriously. 
If  they  have  not  done  so  it  is  evident  that  they  need 
more  drill  and  assistance  in  the  method.     It  would 


l8  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

be  very  desirable  to  secure  an  extra  hour  at  some 
time  when  the  teacher  could  show  the  class  how  to 
do  the  work.  Call  for  the  maps  that  have  been 
made  as  a  review.  Commend  those  that  have  been 
well  done.  Trace  quickly  the  journeys  of  Abra- 
ham. This  will  make  a  good  preparation  for  the 
new  lesson. 

11.  The  wealth  of  Abraham  and  Lot. — Ask 
what  relative  Abraham  had  with  him.  Be  sure  that 
the  class  understands  that  Lot  as  the  nephew  was 
subordinate  to  Abraham.  By  questions  draw  out 
that  their  numerous  servants  made  it  safe  for  these 
two  men  to  travel  through  foreign  countries.  By 
further  questions  bring  out  the  description  of  the 
caravan  of  Abraham,  his  camels,  his  cattle,  his 
sheep,  his  tents,  his  great  company  of  servants, 
and  his  riches.  Let  the  students  see  vividly  the 
large  number  of  animals,  and  consider  the  ques- 
tion how  they  were  to  be  fed  and  watered.  Evi- 
dently pasturage  and  wells  were  of  the  first  im- 
portance. This  is  the  explanation  of  the  constant 
wanderings. 

12.  The  dispute  about  pasturage. — The  par- 
allel with  our  western  cattle  wars  will  not  be  diffi- 
cult to  make.  Bring  into  clear  contrast  the 
nobility  of  Abraham  and  the  selfishness  of  Lot. 
Make  plain  the  Lord's  estimate  of  Abraham's 
conduct. 

jj.  Magnanimous. — The  word  "magnanimous" 
so   well   describes   the  characteristic   that   we  are 


ABRAHAM.  THE  MAGNANIMOUS  19 

studying  that  it  is  worth  while  adding  it  to  the 
students'  vocabulary  even  at  some  cost  of  trouble. 

14.  The  plundering  raid. — This  should  be  well 
described.  Do  not  lose  the  dramatic  significance 
that  Lot's  choice  of  the  rich  country  brought  him 
into  the  power  of  the  robber  kings.  But  this  only 
gave  Abraham  another  chance  to  be  magnanimous. 
Show  rapidly  on  the  map  the  line  of  Abraham's 
pursuit.  There  was  no  pitched  battle,  for  which 
his  little  army  would  not  have  been  large  enough. 
It  was  a  surprise  and  a  night  attack  resulting  in 
the  recapture  of  the  booty.  The  story  can  be  told 
quickly. 

75.  Giving  hack  the  booty. — It  is  an  old  saying, 
"To  the  victor  belongs  the  spoil,"  but  this  victor 
was  magnanimous. 

16.  An  American  example. — We  are  fortunate 
in  having  a  national  instance  of  magnanimity. 
There  are  few  enough  in  our  own  or  any  history. 
Let  the  students  see  the  glory  of  our  unselfish  ser- 
vice to  the  island  of  Cuba,  first  in  the  war  for 
freedom,  secondly  in  our  retirement  from  posses- 
sion, and  again  in  our  generous  interference  to 
restore  peace.  If  our  children  learn  to  admire 
nobility  in  politics  there  is  hope  of  better  politics 
in  the  next  generation. 

77,  Finding  property. — A  bit  of  practical  mor- 
ality easily  understandable  by  children  is  the  matter 
of  restoring  property  that  is  found.  The  students 
will  be  able  to  think  of  instances  of  such  mag- 
nanimity. 


20  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

i8.  The  Lord's  message. — Explain  the  appear- 
ances and  conversations  of  the  Lord  as  belonging 
to  the  simplicity  of  the  old  story. 

i^.  Abraham's  prayer. — Select  six  of  the  stu- 
dents and  have  each  one  take  the  place  of  Abra- 
ham in  making  one  of  the  petitions,  the  teacher 
giving  the  replies  of  the  Lord.  In  this  way  the 
striking  dialogue  that  is  here  given  may  be  made 
very  impressive.  Any  exercise  that  enlists  the 
co-operation  of  the  learner  is  of  value.  Show  how 
Abraham's  interest  in  Lot  led  him  to  sympathy  for 
the  city.  God  loves  us  to  pray  for  others  and 
always  responds  to  unselfish  prayer. 

20.  The  Lord's  answer. — Abraham's  prayer 
was  really  answered,  for  though  the  city  was  too 
wicked  to  be  spared,  yet  the  one  righteous  man  was 
saved. 

Summary 

These  incidents  reveal  our  hero  as  big  of  heart. 
He  would  rather  have  poorer  land  than  have  a 
family  dispute.  He  would  gladly  risk  himself  to 
help  a  friend  and  never  ask  or  care  for  any  pay. 
He  would  pray  earnestly  for  any  who  were  going 
into  sin,  hoping  that  they  might  be  saved. 

Written  Review 

Review  in  class  rapidly  Abraham's  magna- 
nimity in  (i)  giving  Lot  his  choice;  (2)  rescuing 
the  captives;  (3)  praying  for  the  doomed  city. 
Drill  the  students  on  the  meaning  of  magnanimity. 


ABRAHAM,  THE  MAGNANIMOUS  21 

Show  them  how  to  be  on  the  watch  for  the  kind 
of  conduct  to  be  written  up  for  the  review. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Ask  the  class  whether  it  appears  from  the  study 
of  Abraham  that  he  really  wanted  to  do  what  God 
desired  of  him.  Could  a  man  ever  be  mistaken 
about  what  God  wanted?  We  shall  see  in  the  next 
lesson  how  Abraham  made  a  terrible  mistake,  but 
God  helped  him  to  see  what  was  right,  and  all  came 
out  happily.  Direct  the  students  to  read  Lesson 
III  and  to  prepare  it  carefully  by  using  the  helps 
and  questions  in  The  Meaning  of  the  Story. 


III.    ABRAHAM  AND  ISAAC 
References: 

Stewart,  pp.  50-52,  231-32,  278-79. 
Price,  pp.  101-2. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Isaac,"  "Marriage" 
(5.  Marriage  Customs),  "Rebekah." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  make  the  students  feel  that  God  will  help  a 
man  to  know  the  right  if  he  is  really  anxious  to 
do  the  right,  and  that  all  will  come  out  happily  to 
such  a  man. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

We  have  two  stories  that  are  lightly  bound  to- 
gether. The  story  of  the  marriage  of  Isaac  shows 
that  the  son  who  was  saved  from  the  sacrifice 
grew  up  and  became  himself  the  head  of  the  clan. 
We  include  it  also  for  its  picturesque  beauty  and 
interest. 

It  is  sometimes  thought  to  be  difficult  to  teach 
the  incident  of  Abraham  offering  Isaac.  But  if 
properly  managed  it  may  be  made  very  helpful. 
Moreover  the  children  are  likely  to  have  heard  it, 
and  it  is  very  valuable  to  give  them  a  correct  idea 
of  its  meaning.  It  is  difficult  for  us  to  understand 
that  men  could  ever  have  thought  that  God  could 
be  pleased  by  the  slaughter  of  children  in  his  honor. 
But  such  was  the  general  view  of  antiquity.    It  is 


ABRAHAM  AND  ISAAC  23 

probable  that  this  story  of  Abraham  and  Isaac  was 
told  to  make  the  Hebrews  realize  that  Jehovah  was 
different  from  the  heathen  gods,  and  that  he  had  no 
pleasure  in  such  frightful  offerings.  Of  course  it 
is  distinctly  stated  that  the  Lord  commanded  Abra- 
ham to  slay  and  burn  his  son.  Some  have  thought 
to  explain  it  on  the  ground  that  the  Almighty  can 
do  as  he  will,  and  that  moreover  he  knew  his'  own 
gracious  intention.  But  God  is  the  same  yesterday, 
today,  and  forever.  He  cannot  do  wrong  and  can- 
not command  us  to  do  wrong,  and  even  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  end  would  not  alter  the  fact  that  the 
undertaking  would  be  a  criminal  one  for  Abraham. 
We  are  to  understand  the  narrative  as  meaning  that 
Abraham  thought  that  the  Lord  told  him  to  do  this 
act,  while  the  sequel  shows  that  the  patriarch  was 
most  certainly  mistaken.  He  was  a  hero  in  his 
devotion,  but  the  Lord  showed  him  that  it  was  a 
mistaken  form  of  devotion.  The  joy  with  which 
the  story  ends  is  very  beautiful.  It  points  to  Isaac 
as  the  one  who  is  to  inherit  the  promises  made  to 
Abraham.  We  are  therefore  naturally  led  to  ask 
what  became  of  Isaac  in  the  later  years.  This 
leads  to  the  story  of  the  marriage. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTE 

Note  F,  Ancient  marriage. — In  very  ancient  times 
it  was  the  custom  for  a  man  to  purchase  his  wife.  Her 
station  and  beauty  determined  the  price  to  be  paid.  A 
father  felt  that  his  daughters  were  part  of  his  property 
out   of   which   profit   was   to   be   made.     So   Jacob   pur- 


24  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

chased  his  wives  by  his  service.  In  some  cases  there 
was  not  a  definite  price  paid,  but  costly  presents  were 
given,  as  in  this  instance.  But  an  invariable  characteris- 
tic of  ancient  marriage,  as  still  obtaining  in  the  East 
and  in  various  parts  of  Europe  today,  was  the  absolute 
right  of  the  father  to  dispose  of  his  daughter's  hand. 
It  will  be  noted  that  Abraham's  servant  makes  his  re- 
quest of  the  men  of  the  household,  and  their  consent  is 
given  without  even  consulting  Rebekah.  Only  upon  the 
question  of  the  particular  time  at  which  the  journey 
should  begin  was  the  girl  consulted.  Her  submissive- 
ness  is  then  evident  by  her  willingness  to  depart  at  once. 
The  father  very  often  arranged  the  marriage  of  his 
sons  also.  It  is  evident  that  Isaac  was  expected  to  accept 
the  wife  whom  the  servant  should  bring  home.  The 
marriage  ceremony  seems  to  have  consisted  simply  in 
the  husband  conducting  the  bride  to  his  tent:  there  was 
no  religious  form  whatever. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

We  are  anxious  in  this  lesson  that  the  stu- 
dents shall  realize  that  the  idea  of  morality  is  a 
growth  and  that  a  good  man  in  the  past  might 
have  done  certain  things  which  we  should  regard 
as  wrong,  but  which  he  did  not  at  the  time  under- 
stand to  be  wrong.  The  students  might  be  asked 
whether  they  consider  Washington  a  good  man. 
Then  ask  what  they  think  of  the  fact  that  Wash- 
ington kept  slaves.  To  be  sure  at  his  death  he 
liberated  his  slaves.  It  was  generally  regarded  in 
his  time  as  permissible  to  keep  men  in  slavery. 
Ask  them  again  whether  a  good  man  who  wanted 


ABRAHAM  AND  ISAAC  25 

to  do  right  could  make  a  mistake.  An  incident 
in  point  is  that  of  a  young  fellow  who  was  in  a 
meeting  where  everybody  was  giving  money  to  a 
certain  good  cause.  Anxious  to  do  what  others 
did,  he  gave  money  which  he  had  promised  to  send 
to  his  mother.  It  is  therefore  not  enough  to  want 
to  do  right.  We  must  also  take  all  pains  to  find 
out  what  is  right.  God  is  always  seeking  to  teach 
us.  We  are  going  to  see  in  this  lesson  how  he 
taught  Abraham. 

21.  The  promised  son. — Bring  out  strongly  the 
fact  that  the  promise  of  a  son  to  Abraham  had 
repeatedly  been  made  and  had  long  been  deferred. 
Yet  the  patriarch  trusted  God.  Explain  to  the  class 
that  Abraham  greatly  desired  a  son,  because  God 
had  promised  to  give  the  land  to  his  descendants. 
Although  Abraham  was  very  old  he  still  believed 
that  his  boy  would  be  born.  Gen.  15:6  is  a  cen- 
tral verse.  Let  the  class  repeat  it  together.  Let 
them  see  that  to  trust  a  good  person  is  of  great 
moral  value.    To  trust  God  is  of  the  highest  value. 

22.  Abraham's  dreadful  thought. — Great  care  is 
needed  in  leading  the  young  people  to  understand 
this  experience  of  Abraham.  It  will  be  well  to 
begin  with  the  passage  in  II  Kings,  and  so  to  under- 
stand how  universal  was  the  practice  of  human 
sacrifice.  Let  them  see  that  Abraham  wanted  to 
do  as  much  for  his  God  as  the  heathen  did  for 
theirs.  He  thought,  therefore,  that  the  Lord  was 
telling  him  to  offer  his  son.  He  was,  of  course, 
mistaken,  as  the  sequel  of  the  story  clearly  showed. 


26  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

2^.  Abraham's  good  purpose. — By  careful  ques- 
tions be  sure  that  the  class  understands  that  Abra- 
ham was  not  to  blame  in  his  intention.  He  was 
so  eager  to  do  right  that  God  was  able  to  show 
him  what  was  right. 

2^.  The  angel's  interference. — The  most  im- 
portant thing  to  do  in  connection  with  the  story  of 
the  sacrifice  is  to  be  sure  that  it  is  fully  appreciated. 
Require  different  students  to  describe  vividly  the 
different  parts.  This  is  an  excellent  opportunity 
to  drill  them  in  imaginative  description.  Let  them 
feel  the  dramatic  climax:  the  son  lying  passive 
upon  the  altar;  the  father's  knife  raised  to  plunge 
it  into  the  son;  the  cry  of  the  angel  that  stops  the 
deed. 

■?5.  Knowledge  of  God's  will. — It  is  difficult 
for  boys  and  girls  to  form  abstract  judgments. 
They  can  understand,  however,  that  the  Puritans 
were  sincere  in  persecuting  the  witches,  and  that 
many  men  meaning  to  do  right  have  really  done 
wrong.  They  can  thus  see  how  important  it  is 
for  good  people  to  study  carefully  what  is  right 
and  what  is  wrong.  They  may  be  able  to  see  also 
how  blessed  it  is  for  us  to  be  living  in  a  time  of 
clear  knowledge  of  God's  will  on  so  many  points. 
Many  of  the  old  questions  that  troubled  other  men 
are  settled  for  us.  We  know  what  we  ought  to  do 
if  we  will  only  do  it. 

26.  Abraham's  plan  for  the  future. — It  is  im- 
portant that  there  shall  not  be  a  break  in  the  lesson, 
although   the   two   stories   which   compose   it   are 


ABRAHAM  AND  ISAAC  27 

quite  different  and  represent  the  lapse  of  many 
years.  Ask  the  students  how  they  think  Abraham 
would  feel  toward  Isaac  thus  restored  to  him. 
Picture  the  happy  life  that  they  would  live  as  Isaac 
grew  up.  At  last  the  difficult  question  would  arise 
regarding  Isaac's  marriage.  By  questions  let  the 
class  explain  that  Abraham  was  living  in  a  strange 
land.  He  was  among  idolaters.  His  own  people 
were  across  the  Euphrates  in  Mesopotamia.  Where 
would  he  naturally  wish  that  Isaac's  wife  should 
come  from?  Explain  a  little  about  the  marriage 
customs  of  the  time.  Then  let  the  story  proceed 
rapidly.  This  is  a  good  opportunity  for  covering 
a  large  amount  of  material  in  brief  lively  descrip- 
tion. Do  not  dwell  upon  the  details.  Let  the  stu- 
dents become  accustomed  to  take  up  the  parts  of 
the  story  one  after  another.  It  is  well  to  call  on 
them  out  of  regular  order,  so  that  the  uncertainty 
as  to  who  will  be  called  on  next  may  stimulate 
attention  and  interest.  Let  the  class  be  alert  to 
supply  any  point  in  the  story  that  the  speaker  may 
omit. 

<?/.  The  journey  of  the  servant. — Use  the  map, 
following  the  servant's  journey  north  to  Damas- 
cus, then  north  to  the  Euphrates.  There  may  be 
a  bit  of  review  here  as  the  students  realize  that  the 
servant  went  back  over  the  road  which  Abraham 
had  come.  Let  them  recall  that  Abraham's  family 
had  stopped  at  Haran. 

28.  Finding  the  bride. — This  may  be  treated 
briefly. 


28  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

2^.  The  engagement  of  the  bride. — Let  the 
students  simply  describe  the  facts. 

50.  The  bride  brought  home. — Explain  the  old 
marriage  custom.  Let  the  students  realize  the 
simple  beauty  of  the  story. 

Summary 
Abraham  believed  that  God  was  taking  care  of 
him.  He  had  led  him  to  the  promised  land  and 
would  give  him  the  promised  son.  When  the  son 
came  he  wanted  to  give  thanks  to  God.  So  he 
thought  that  he  must  slay  him  in  sacrifice,  still 
believing  that  God  would  give  him  a  son  to  inherit 
the  promises.  When  God  showed  him  a  better  way 
he  gladly  accepted  it.  Isaac  grew  up  and  Abraham 
believed  that  God  would  lead  them  to  find  a  good 
wife  for  his  son  from  his  own  people.  It  is  all  a 
story  of  trying  to  live  as  God  would  have  us,  and 
learning  as  we  go  along  what  he  wants  us  to  do. 

Written  Review 
Draw  out  rapidly  from  the  class  the  great  inci- 
dents in  Abraham's  life  that  have  been  studied 
and  ask  the  students  to  point  out  how  these  showed 
a  trust  in  God.  Urge  them  to  think  it  all  over, 
and  then  write  out  their  review  story. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
Simply  announce  that  the  next  lesson  is  the 
story  of  Isaac's  two  sons,  who,  although  they  were 
twins,  turned  out  to  be  very  different  from  one 
another.  We  are  going  to  find  out  what  happened 
to  them  when  one  tried  to  get  the  better  of  the 
other. 


JACOB— ISRAEL 

IV.    Jacob,  the  Clever 
V.    Israel,  the  Gk)DLY 


IV.    JACOB,  THE  CLEVER 

References: 

Stewart,  pp.  162-64. 

Dictionary    of    the    Bible,    articles    "Jacob,"    "Esau," 

"Firstborn,"  "Bethel." 
Biblical  World,  March,  1907,  pp.  21^-27. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  help  the   student   to   feel   that   it  is  never 
worth  while  to  cheat  and  plot  for  advantage.     God 
can  be  trusted  to  take  care  of  us  without  any  trick- 
ery on  our  part. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
There  were  twin  boys  in  Isaac's  household. 
They  represent  the  two  different  types  that  we  so 
often  find  among  children.  The  one  active,  impul- 
sive, energetic;  the  other  sensitive,  receptive,  im- 
pressionable. Every  teacher  knows  these  two  types. 
The  psychologists  call  them  the  motor-minded  child 
and  the  sensory-minded  child.  The  first  of  these  was 
the  favorite  of  his  father ;  the  second,  of  his  mother. 
There  was  unfortunate  favoritism  in  this  home. 
The  birthright  was  a  very  important  matter  in  those 
days.  In  our  democratic  society  the  oldest  son  has 
no  advantage  over  the  rest  of  the  family.  But  in 
many  countries  the  oldest  son  succeeds  to  the  title 
and  estates  of  the  father.  The  Hebrew  custom 
seems  to  have  given  the  firstborn  a  double  share. 
Apparently,  however,  he  could  sell  his  right,  and 
31 


32  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

upon  this  possibility  the  plot  of  this  story  turns. 
Jacob  wanted  the  birthright.  He  plotted  to  take 
advantage  of  his  brother's  careless,  impulsive 
nature  in  order  to  get  him  to  sell  it.  Then  he  and 
his  mother  plotted  to  deceive  the  old  father.  The 
patriarchal  blessing  which  Jacob  obtained  was  con- 
sidered of  great  importance.  It  was  a  kind  of  last 
will  and  testament,  as  we  see  from  Gen.,  chap.  49. 
Whoever  secured  it  would  succeed  the  father  as 
the  head  of  the  tribe.  When  Esau  found  that  he 
had  been  cheated  he  was  bitterly  disappointed  and 
in  his  anger  would  have  killed  his  brother.  The 
shrewd  plotter  had  over-reached  himself  and  was 
obliged  to  flee  for  his  life.  Then  we  see  God's 
kindness.  He  knows  there  is  something  better  in 
Jacob  than  has  yet  appeared.  He  will  not  leave 
him  to  his  own  devices  and  to  the  results  of  his 
deception.  The  story  is  very  beautifully  told.  The 
lonely  man  sees  in  his  dream  the  great  rocks  form- 
ing a  staircase  up  to  heaven.  He  sees  God  stand- 
ing at  the  top  and  promising  to  be  with  him.  The 
whole  narrative  is  a  beautiful  picture  of  God's 
nearness  to  us.  Jacob  was  surprised  to  find  that 
God  was  there,  but  he  is  always  there  if  we  could 
only  know  it.  The  hope  of  a  better  Jacob  is  in  that 
divine  friendship.  We  shall  see  how  it  worked 
out  in  the  later  years. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

It  will  be  better  not  to  attempt  any  review  as 
there  is  so  slight  connection  with  the  last  lesson. 


JACOB,  THE  CLEVER  33 

Simply  collect  the  review  papers  for  private  exami- 
nation. Plunge  at  once  into  the  story  with  the 
statement,  "We  are  going  to  see  today  how  a  man, 
who  thought  he  was  very  shrewd,  over-reached 
himself.  It  is  sometimes  dangerous  to  be  too 
shrewd." 

THE    POINT   OF    CONTACT 

J7.  Ask  the  class.  Do  you  know  what  is  done 
with  a  man's  money  when  he  dies?  Did  you 
ever  hear  of  a  family  where  there  was  bad  feel- 
ing because  more  money  was  left  to  one  than 
to  another?  Suppose  your  father  was  very  rich 
and  you  knew  that  when  he  died  your  older 
brother  would  receive  a  great  deal  more  money 
than  you,  how  would  you  feel  about  it?  We 
don't  often  have  that  kind  of  thing  in  America, 
but  in  countries  where  there  are  kings  and  nobles 
they  have  to  decide  who  shall  succeed  to  the  title 
or  office  when  the  father  dies.  What  plan  do  they 
have?  They  had  the  same  plan  in  the  old  days  of 
these  hero  stories.  Explain  the  use  of  the  word 
"birthright."  Isaac  was  a  very  old  man  and  when 
he  died  his  oldest  son  Esau  would  be  the  head  of 
the  tribe.  What  did  Jacob,  the  younger  son,  think 
of  this?  It  made  him  jealous  and  he  plotted  to  get 
the  birthright. 

22.  The  home-lover  and  the  hunter. — With  a 
few  questions  bring  out  the  difference  between  the 
two  men ;  also  note  the  favoritism. 

jj.  The  shrewd  bargain. — Encourage  vivid  de- 


34  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

scription  so  that  the  class  sees  the  famished  hunter 
willing  to  give  anything  for  food,  and  the  wily 
bargainer  taking  advantage  of  him. 

^4.  The  folly  of  Esau. — Let  the  student  express 
a  moral  judgment  on  Esau. 

55.  The  meanness  of  Jacob. — The  whole  prob- 
lem of  the  monopoly  or  "the  corner"  is  in  this 
transaction.  If  we  think  it  clever  to  take  advantage 
of  others  we  have  not  advanced  beyond  Jacob. 
Thousands  of  years  of  religious  and  moral  develop- 
ment have  done  nothing  for  us. 

jd.  Isaac's  blessing. — Some  little  skill  will  be 
necessary  to  make  the  students  feel  the  significance 
of  this  patriarchal  blessing. 

J/.  The  plot. — Let  the  story  move  rapidly. 
Encourage  picturesque  description. 

^8.  The  deceit. — The  story  will  be  most  effec- 
tive if  it  is  told  briefly  without  much  comment. 

5p.  Esau's  bitterness. — The  contrast  is  very 
dramatic.  Make  the  most  of  it.  The  teacher  who 
fails  to  perceive  the  fine  dramatic  character  of  these 
stories  will  miss  a  great  opportunity. 

40.  Esau's  revenge. — We  naturally  sympathize 
with  Esau.  The  important  point,  however,  is  to 
recognize  the  wretchedness  for  everybody  which 
all  this  deceit  caused.  It  seems  probable  that 
Rebekah  never  saw  her  favorite  again. 

41.  Jacob's  flight. — The  repeated  journeys  be- 
tween Palestine  and  Mesopotamia  ought  to  make 
the  general  geography  familiar.  Always  review  it, 
being  sure  that  the  students  understand  how  the 


JACOB,  THE  CLEVER  35 

roads  ran.  Use  the  map  of  Canaan  at  p.  47. 
Develop  the  thought  of  the  rocky  formation  at 
Bethel  giving  the  appearance  of  a  staircase. 

42.  Jacob's  dream. — Did  you  ever  know  a  boy 
who  went  away  from  home  to  seek  his  fortune? 
Jacob  not  only  had  to  leave  home  but  he  had  to 
slip  away  secretly-  Do  you  think  one  would  be 
lonely  the  first  night  away  from  home?  Would  he 
be  likely  to  remember  to  pray  to  God?  Some 
people  only  think  of  God  when  they  are  in  trouble. 
Bring  out  the  story  with  clear,  definite  questions. 

Written  Review 
Drill  the  class  on  the  meaning  of  "magnani- 
mous," and  be  sure  that  they  see  how  Jacob's  over- 
reaching was  the  opposite  quality.  Draw  out  from 
them  various  illustrations  in  addition  to  the  San 
Francisco  incident.  Urge  them  to  write  a  few 
lines  expressing  their  judgment.  Make  much  of 
these  written  reviews.  They  are  the  student's 
opportunity  for  expression  of  what  has  been 
learned. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Would  Jacob  have  dared  to  return  home  and 
meet  Esau?  We  shall  see  in  the  next  lesson  how 
he  came  home,  a  very  different  man,  and  what 
happened  at  the  meeting  of  the  two  brothers. 


V.     ISRAEL,  THE  GODLY 

References: 

Stewart,  p.  318. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Jacob,"  "Penuel." 

Biblical  World,  March,  1907,  pp.  227-30. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  show  how  old  sins  spring  up  to  meet  a  man 
years  afterward,  but  how  God  protects  the  man 
who  repents. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

Jacob  journeyed  from  Bethel  to  Mesopotamia, 
reached  the  abode  of  Laban,  his  uncle,  and  entered 
into  service  with  him.  He  married  the  two  daugh- 
ters of  Laban  and  a  large  family  was  born.  After 
various  hard  experiences  in  which  he  did  not 
always  exhibit  very  scrupulous  conduct  he  decided 
to  return  home.  Then  the  old  fear  of  Esau  came 
upon  him.  He  tried  by  presents  and  courtesy  to 
placate  his  brother.  But  a  great  struggle  of  soul 
came  to  him,  in  which  it  would  seem  that  he  saw 
that  he  had  not  followed  the  divine  will  as  he  ought. 
He  gave  up  and  became  a  different  man.  There 
followed  a  happy  meeting  with  his  brother,  which 
he  shrewdly  made  as  short  as  possible.  He  then 
returned  with  all  his  people  to  the  place  where  he 
had  seen  the  vision  at  Bethel  and  made  a  humble 
and  faithful  expression  of  his  dependence  upon  the 
Lord.  We  feel  as  the  story  closes  that  Jacob  has 
become  a  better  man. 

36 


ISRAEL,  THE  GODLY  37 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

The  following  questions  rapidly  put  may  make 
a  beginning:  What  is  meant  by  a  grudge?  If  one 
man  did  a  deadly  wrong  to  another  how  long  might 
the  grudge  last?  How  did  Jacob  wrong  his 
brother?  What  was  Jacob  obliged  to  do  to  save 
his  life?  We  are  going  to  see  now  what  came  of 
this  flight  of  Jacob  and  of  the  old  grudge. 

42-  Jacob  with  Lahan. — The  long  narrative  of 
Jacob  and  Laban  in  Gen.,  chaps.  29—31,  may  be  read 
by  the  teacher  if  desired.  It  is  too  long  for  the 
students  to  read  and  is  not  altogether  desirable  for 
them.  The  teacher  may  go  over  briefly  the  general 
trend  of  events  during  the  twenty  years  of  Jacob's 
life  in  Mesopotamia.  It  should  be  done  briefly, 
however,  in  order  to  come  at  once  to  the  point  of 
Jacob's  return  home.  The  use  of  the  map  will  help 
the  students  to  realize  that  Jacob  is  coming  back. 

44.  Jacob's  fear. — Let  the  students  recall 
Jacob's  reason  to  be  afraid  of  Esau,  Let  them  see 
how  an  old  sin  springs  up  again  after  years  have 
passed.  Notice  Jacob's  careful  plan  to  prepare  for 
his  meeting  with  his  brother.  Esau's  company  of 
400  men  would  indicate  that  he  had  gathered  a 
set  of  rough  fellows  like  himself  who  shared  his 
wild  life.  The  information  about  them  did  not 
tend  to  allay  Jacob's  fears. 

45.  Jacob's  prayer. — We  are  always  more  likely 
to  pray  when  we  are  in  trouble.    Jacob  had  done 


38  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

all  that  he  could  think  of  and  now  he  fell  back 
upon  God.  Let  the  students  see  that  it  is  better 
to  think  of  God  first.  Read  to  them  very  carefully 
the  beautiful  prayer.  Note  that  it  contains  thanks- 
giving and  humility,  ever  proper  characteristics  of 
prayer. 

46.  Jacob's  plan. — His  clever  scheme  of  send- 
ing the  five  droves  of  different  kinds  of  animals  as 
so  many  presents  to  pacify  Esau  may  be  used  to 
awaken  interest  and  to  make  the  students  alert  in 
noting  the  details  of  the  narrative. 

42.  Jacob's  danger. — This  narrative  may  be 
rather  difficult  for  the  young  students  to  under- 
stand, but  let  them  at  least  have  the  picture  clearly 
before  them.  Let  them  see  that  Jacob  had  taken 
all  his  companies  across  the  brook  and  had  returned 
alone  in  the  night  to  pray  to  God.  It  was  a  solemn 
time  of  heart  searching.  Many  things  that  he  had 
forgotten  in  his  busy  life  would  come  before  him 
in  that  loneliness  just  before  the  time  of  danger. 

48.  Jacob's  struggle. — Refer  to  Note  E.  In 
very  old  times  men  thought  of  God  as  having  bodily 
form  as  represented  in  this  wrestle.  The  writer  of 
the  story  means  to  make  the  wrestle  represent  a 
spiritual  conflict,  Jacob  had  never  been  willing  to 
let  God  take  care  of  the  future.  He  had  always 
tried  to  use  his  own  cleverness,  and  this  had  led 
him  into  evil.  The  only  safe  way  to  prepare  for 
the  future  is  to  do  one's  best  honestly  and  trust 
God  to  bring  it  out  well.  It  is  a  great  struggle 
sometimes  for  a  man  to  understand  that  way  of 


ISRAEL,  THE  GODLY  39 

life.  Try  to  secure  thoughtful  answers  from  the 
students  to  the  questions  asked  in  their  book. 

4Q.  Jacob's  victory. — The  new  name,  Israel,  has 
a  nobler  meaning  than  the  old  name,  Jacob.  The 
sacred  writer  means  to  suggest  that  this  man  who 
was  before  only  a  clever  supplanter  is  now  really 
a  victor. 

50.  The  meeting  of  the  brothers. — Let  the  class 
briefly  describe  the  facts. 

57.  The  return  to  Bethel. — Here  is  an  oppor- 
tunity for  review.  Recall  the  incident  of  Jacob's 
first  visit  to  Bethel  and  then  bring  out  the  striking 
contrast  in  his  second  visit.  Then  he  was  alone, 
now  he  has  a  large  family  and  extensive  posses- 
sions. Then  he  was  in  dread  of  his  brother,  now 
he  is  happy  in  the  reconciliation.  Then  he  was 
only  a  shrewd  young  man,  now  he  has  learned  the 
lessons  of  the  godly  life. 

Stimmary 

In  Jacob  we  see  a  man  developed  in  character. 
First  he  is  a  mere  cheat,  but  fleeing  from  home  he 
thinks  of  God  and  seeks  his  blessing.  For  twenty 
years  he  is  engaged  in  the  conflict  of  business.  He 
turns  home  and  his  old  sin  comes  before  him.  He 
tries  to  make  amends.  Then  he  falls  back  on  God 
and  in  a  great  struggle  becomes  willing  for  God  to 
lead  him.  Then  he  can  meet  his  brother,  and  can 
go  back  to  the  place  where  he  saw  his  early  vision, 
ready  to  worship  God.  It  is  better  to  learn  this 
lesson  early  than  to  wait  so  long. 


40  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Written  Review 

Tell  the  students  that  it  is  a  good  thing  to  talk 
over  their  lessons  with  their  parents.  The  same 
conditions  that  we  find  in  these  old  stories  are 
found  today.  Their  parents  or  some  friend  can 
give  them  the  facts  for  writing  their  review  paper. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Ask  the  class  if  repentance  destroys  all  the  con- 
sequences of  wrong-doing.  Of  course  all  will  see 
that  a  man  may  be  forgiven  but  that  the  evil  he 
has  done  may  remain.  During  the  twenty  years 
that  Jacob  was  engaged  in  the  game  of  wits  with 
his  father-in-law  he  was  not  bringing  his  family 
very  near  to  God.  We  shall  see  in  the  next  lesson 
that  his  boys  did  not  turn  out  very  well. 


JOSEPH 

VI.    Joseph,  the  Slave 
VII.    Joseph,  the  Ruler 
VIII.    Joseph,  the  Generous 


VI.    JOSEPH,  THE  SLAVE 

References: 

Stewart,  pp.  143-44. 

Price,  pp.  102-3. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Joseph,"  "Slavery." 

Biblical  World,  April,  1907,  pp.  293-96. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  see  how  faith  in  God  can  save  one  from 
discouragement  in  great  difficulty. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

The  story  of  Joseph  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces 
of  narrative  in  all  literature.  It  moves  forward, 
vivid,  picturesque,  pathetic,  dramatic,  through  a 
series  of  adventures  in  which  the  hero  gains  ever 
more  intensely  the  interest  of  the  reader.  It  begins 
with  the  boy  and  his  dreams.  Noble  youths  have 
dreams  of  the  future.  But  the  boy  has  the  mis- 
fortune to  incur  the  envy  of  his  brothers.  A  chance 
puts  him  into  their  power.  They  plot  his  murder 
and  then  compromise  by  selling  him  into  slavery. 
His  noble  nature  asserts  itself  even  in  the  wretched 
position  of  a  slave,  and  he  rises  to  be  the  head  of 
his  master's  household.  A  shameful  and  false 
charge  is  made  against  him  at  the  height  of  his 
success  and  he  is  flung  into  prison,  but  here  again 
his  courage  and  faith  sustain  him,  and  he  proves 
himself  a  man  of  worth  and  helpfulness. 
43 


44  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  G.  Caravans  of  the  East. — Railroads  have 
entered  the  East  only  very  recently  and,  of  course,  in 
ancient  times  there  was  nothing  of  the  kind.  Trade  was 
carried  on  by  means  of  caravans.  A  number  of  mer- 
chants would  band  together  for  mutual  safety.  Loading 
their  goods  upon  camels  and  asses,  they  would  slowly 
trudge  over  the  roads  of  the  East  from  city  to  city. 
Thus  all  the  costly  goods  would  be  carried  from  the 
place  of  their  manufacture  to  the  place  of  their  sale. 
Such  a  caravan  as  given  on  p.  5  of  the  student's  book 
is  still  to  be  seen  in  the  East. 

Note  H.  Slavery  in  ancient  times. — Slavery  was  uni- 
versal in  the  olden  days.  Men  who  were  in  debt  were 
sold  to  satisfy  the  creditors.  People  sometimes  sold  their 
children  as  slaves.  The  captives  of  war  were  always 
regarded  as  a  valuable  part  of  the  booty  and  were  sold. 
And  there  was  a  large  amount  of  kidnaping.  It  was 
quite  in  accordance  with  custom  for  the  traveling  trad- 
ers to  buy  the  boy  whom  the  brothers  wanted  to  sell. 
The  slave  was  the  absolute  property  of  his  master  dur- 
ing the  whole  of  his  lifetime.  However,  slaves  were 
frequently  very  intelligent  men,  and  they  often  rose  to 
high  positions.  It  was  quite  in  accordance  with  custom 
for  a  slave  such  as  Joseph  to  become  overseer  of  the 
entire  estate  of  his  master.  Sometimes  there  was  an 
exceedingly  friendly  relation  between  master  and  slave. 
However,  at  any  moment  the  master  might  exercise  his 
arbitrary  rights. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
It  will  be  well  for  the  teacher  at  the  beginning 
of  these  studies  of  Joseph  to  read  the  whole  beauti- 
ful story  in  Gen.,  chaps.  37,  39-48. 


JOSEPH,  THE  SLAVE  4$ 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

52.  Perhaps  the  best  way  to  secure  interest  will 
be  the  simple  statement  that  we  are  going  to  study 
a  story  that  many  consider  the  best  that  has 
ever  been  written.  It  is  full  of  the  most  surprising 
adventures  and  wonderful  escapes.  We  must  all 
enjoy  it. 

5J.  Joseph  the  favorite  son. — Recall  to  the  stu- 
dents what  was  said  about  favoritism  in  Isaac's 
family.  Jacob  ought  to  have  remembered  how  un- 
fortunate it  was  in  his  own  boyhood  and  he  ought 
to  have  avoided  it.  But  Joseph  was  a  good  boy 
while  his  older  brothers  were  guilty  of  much  mis- 
conduct. It  was  not  unnatural  therefore  that  Jacob 
treated  him  with  favor.  By  question  and  sugges- 
tion make  vivid  the  home  life  in  Jacob's  tents — 
the  ten  older  sons,  the  younger  Joseph,  the  child 
Benjamin.  Recall  the  great  extent  of  Jacob's  flocks 
and  herds,  which  must  be  tended  by  these  sons. 

54.  Joseph's  dreams. — Joseph's  dreams  give  op- 
portunity for  picturesque  description.  Call  to 
mind  great  men  who  had  visions  of  greatness  in 
youth.  Most  boys  think  of  some  day  being  Presi- 
dent. The  ambition  is  good,  if  it  does  not  go  too 
far  and  make  one  arrogant.  A  class  of  boys  might 
be  asked:  How  many  of  you  have  ever  thought  of 
becoming  great  men? 

^^.  Joseph's  brothers. — Again  picture  the  many 
hundred  sheep  and  cattle  that  would  need  pasture- 
age,  and  would  soon  exhaust  the  grass  in  any  one 
place.     Follow  the  route  of  the  shepherds  on  the 


46  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

map,  and  make  the  measurement  as  suggested. 
Note  that  Jacob  did  not  send  Joseph  with  his 
brothers. 

5(5.  The  murderous  plot. — The  fearful  signifi- 
cance of  hatred  comes  out  in  the  story.  Children 
in  their  rage  sometimes  say,  "I  would  like  to  kill 
him."  Let  the  students  learn  the  verse  from  John's 
epistle.  Help  them  to  see  that  these  brothers  had 
practically  been  murderers  a  long  time.  The  sig- 
nificance of  the  story  is  best  seen  in  the  simple 
vivid  narration.  Let  one  student  begin  to  tell  the 
story.  Then  suddenly  stop  him  and  ask  another 
(particularly  one  who  is  not  paying  attention)  to 
take  up  the  tale.  So  keep  the  class  alert.  A  teacher 
must  know  the  story  so  well  himself  that  he  will  not 
need  to  refer  to  the  book. 

5^.  Joseph  a  slave. — Bring  out  briefly  the  mean- 
ing of  slavery. 

^8.  The  faithful  slave. — There  is  fine  nobility 
in  Joseph's  faithfulness  in  a  menial  position.  In 
Col.  3:22-25,  Paul  lays  down  the  principles  of 
manly  service  for  slaves.  We  owe  it  to  ourselves 
and  to  God  to  do  our  best  wherever  we  are. 

No  good  purpose  can  be  served  by  discussing 
Joseph's  temptation.  It  will  be  sufficient  for  the 
young  student  to  understand  that  his  master's  wife 
became  his  enemy  and  accused  him  of  insult. 

5^.  The  false  charge. — Pass  over  rapidly  the 
misfortune  that  happened  to  Joseph.  Attention 
should  be  concentrated  on  the  master's  displeasure 
and  the  imprisonment  of  Joseph. 


JOSEPH,  THE  SLAVE  47 

60.  Joseph  in  prison. — Justice  was  a  very  arbi- 
trary matter,  and  Joseph  might  well  think  that  he 
was  doomed  for  life.  What  of  his  brilliant  dreams? 
Let  the  students  feel  the  dramatic  situation.  There 
is  opportunity  for  nobility  and  for  service  even  in 
prison.  In  all  difficulties  a  man  is  sustained  by 
faith  in  God. 

Summary 

Nobility  of  character  appears  in  times  of  diffi- 
culty. Joseph  in  the  pit  might  well  have  despaired 
of  his  dreams.  In  slavery  he  might  have  felt  him- 
self forsaken.  In  prison  he  might  have  thought 
the  future  hopeless.  But  he  always  did  his  best  and 
trusted  in  God. 

Written  Review 

Encourage  the  students  to  find  instances  of 
heroism  under  difficulty  in  modern  life,  and  to  write 
these  brief  records. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
Ask  the  class :  Do  you  think  a  man  of  Joseph's 
character  would  be  likely  to  remain  in  prison  for 
life?    We  shall  see  in  the  next  lesson  what  strange 
circumstances  led  to  his  deliverance. 


VII.    JOSEPH,  THE  RULER 

References: 

Price,  pp.  103-6. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Joseph,"  "Dreams," 

"Famine." 
Biblical  World,  April,  1907,  pp.  296-301. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  see  how  a  man,  faithful  to  his  duty  in  every 
condition,  gained  unexpected  honor. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
Joseph  was  in  a  hopeless  plight.  He  might  well 
have  given  up  all  effort.  But  even  in  prison  he 
decided  to  do  what  he  could.  Opportunities  soon 
came  for  him  to  be  of  service  to  some  great  officers 
whom  the  king  had  sent  to  prison.  By  the  gift 
that  he  possessed  he  was  able  to  interpret  their 
dreams.  His  interpretation  came  true,  but  the 
officer  who  was  restored  to  favor  forgot  the  obscure 
Hebrew  slave,  and  he  remained  two  long  years  in 
prison.  The  king  at  last  had  a  dream  which  gave 
the  opportunity  for  Joseph  to  be  remembered.  He 
was  summoned  from  prison,  satisfied  the  king  as  to 
the  meaning  of  his  dream,  and  by  a  most  surprising 
change  was  advanced  to  a  high  position. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE    POINT   OF    CONTACT 

Ask  the  class  what  happens  to  the  hero  in  stories 
of  adventure  just  when  all  hope  seems  to  be  lost. 
48 


JOSEPH,  THE  RULER  49 

Explain  that  we  are  going  to  see  how  Joseph  when 
everything  seemed  to  be  against  him  made  an  ac- 
quaintance who  afterward  brought  him  deliverance. 
With  a  few  questions  bring  out  clearly  Joseph's 
situation  as  a  prisoner.  He  was  not  under  sen- 
tence for  a  term  of  years,  but  had  simply  been 
thrown  into  prison,  and  was  likely  to  remain  there 
for  the  rest  of  his  life. 

62.  Joseph's  fellow-prisoners. — By  questions 
and  suggestions  secure  a  good  picture  of  the  Egyp- 
tian court,  and  especially  of  the  duties  of  the  func- 
tionaries who  were  imprisoned.  See  Neh.,  chap.  2, 
for  an  indication  of  the  position  of  the  cupbearer. 
Call  attention  to  the  arbitrariness  of  imprisonment, 
as  in  autocracies  today. 

<5j.  The  ominous  dreams. — Picture  the  fore- 
boding of  the  men  as  the  time  drew  near  for  their 
fate  to  be  decided.  Let  the  students  realize  the 
naturalness  of  the  dreams  as  much  as  possible. 
Joseph's  sympathy  is  significant.  He  was  in  a  bad 
plight  himself,  but  he  could  feel  for  others. 

64.  Joseph's  interpretation. — The  question  natu- 
rally arises  as  to  how  Joseph  could  know  the 
interpretations.  Some  will  feel  that  he  was  divinely 
inspired,  others  will  think  that  a  belief  in  dreams 
and  interpretations  is  an  indication  of  the  childhood 
of  religion.  It  will  not  be  wise  to  discuss  these 
matters  very  much  in  the  class.  We  are  not  con- 
cerned in  this  outline  and  appreciative  study  of  the 
Old  Testament  heroes  with  questions  of  historical 
probability.    We  are  studying  the  stories  as  vivid 


5©  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

portrayals  of  the  great  characters  whom  Israel 
honored,  and  whose  experiences  are  so  full  of  sug- 
gestion for  us.  Do  not  raise  the  question  unneces- 
sarily, but  do  not  put  any  strain  on  the  student's 
credulity  if  he  feels  unable  to  accept  the  stories  as 
historical.  Their  value  is  in  their  humanness.  The 
very  confidence  of  Joseph  that  he  could  interpret 
the  dreams  shows  finely  his  continued  belief  in  his 
own  hopes  and  ambitions  of  youth,  impossible  of 
realization  though  they  seemed. 

65.  The  ungrateful  butler. — Describe  the  pomp 
of  a  royal  birthday.  Show  how  the  arbitrary  justice 
of  the  East  has  nothing  to  do  with  careful  judicial 
procedure,  but  is  simply  according  to  the  king's 
will.  We  learn  much  from  these  old  stories  by  con- 
trast. Here  we  feel  the  blessedness  of  a  just  gov- 
ernment. Was  the  chief  butler  a  little  ashamed  of 
the  Hebrew  slave,  or  was  he  unwilling  to  risk  mak- 
ing any  unnecessary  request  of  the  king?  It  is  a 
notable  example  of  black  ingratitude. 

66.  The  king's  dream. — The  king's  dream  is 
curious  and  there  will  be  an  interest  in  having  it 
well  told.  Make  much  of  the  Nile.  Draw  out  all 
that  the  students  know  about  its  character.  Any 
encyclopedia  will  give  you  the  needed  information. 

6/.  Joseph  remembered. — The  wise  men  of  the 
Book  of  Daniel  will  be  recalled.  Picture  the 
trouble  and  perplexity  of  these  magicians.  Now, 
when  there  is  a  chance  to  curry  favor,  the  butler 
remembers  poor  Joseph. 

68.  Joseph  before  Pharaoh. — Picture  the  rapid 


JOSEPH.  THE  RULER  51 

preparation  of  Joseph  to  appear  before  the  king. 
Do  not  allow  the  narrative  to  drag.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  have  the  dream  again  repeated.  Interest 
will  be  maintained  by  moving  with  some  rapidity. 

dp.  Plenty  and  famine. — Let  it  be  very  clear 
that  the  fertility  of  Egypt  depends  upon  the  Nile, 
and  that  the  failure  of  the  inundation  would  mean 
famine.  Such  were  infrequent,  but  not  unknown. 
The  plan  of  storing  up  food  seems  to  have  been 
common. 

70.  Joseph's  rezvard. — The  description  in  Price 
will  be  especially  helpful  in  this  section.  Bring  out 
clearly  the  various  distinctions  conferred  on  Joseph. 
Kings  often  delighted  in  thus  heaping  favors  upon 
a  new  favorite. 

7/.  Joseph's  prosperity. — The  point  of  empha- 
sis here  is  the  utterly  changed  fortunes  of  the 
friendless  slave.  Make  much  of  the  contrast.  He 
is  free,  honored,  wealthy;  he  has  home,  wife,  chil- 
dren; he  has  a  great  office.  How  well  he  had  de- 
served it  all !  Note  his  wise  discharge  of  the  special 
duties  regarding  the  famine. 

/-?.  The  unspoiled  hero. — Here  was  a  man  faith- 
ful to  God  in  adversity  and  also  in  prosperity. 
Sometimes  the  latter  is  harder  than  the  former. 

Stmunary 

There  are  some  persons  who  only  do  what  they 
have  to,  or  what  they  are  paid  for.  Joseph  believed 
in  doing  with  his  might  what  his  hands  found  to  do. 
Because  he  was  faithful  as  a  slave  and  as  a  prisoner, 


52  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

two  positions  in  which  many  would  think  it  per- 
missible to  be  careless,  he  became  the  head  of  the 
nation.  Give  to  the  class  illustrations  from  Ameri- 
can history  and  from  your  own  knowledge  of  those 
who  have  become  great  by  humble  faithfulness. 

Written  Review 

There  is  a  good  opportunity  to  make  applica- 
tions to  common  life  of  this  very  simple  but  far- 
reaching  principle  of  faithfulness.  The  shirking 
boys  and  girls  who  are  doing  the  least  they  can  are 
not  likely  to  make  the  strong  men  and  women. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Ask  the  students  how  they  think  Joseph,  the 
ruler,  would  act  if  he  should  get  his  wicked  broth- 
ers into  his  power.  Explain  that  the  next  lesson 
tells  the  story  of  just  such  a  condition.  It  is  an 
unusually  long  lesson  because  we  want  to  have 
before  us  the  whole  narrative  of  the  adventures  of 
Joseph's  brothers  in  Egypt.  Be  sure  that  the  stu- 
dents are  studying  the  lessons  in  advance.  Arrange 
to  meet  them  between  lessons  occasionally,  so  as  to 
go  over  the  material  with  them  as  in  Lesson  I. 


VIII.    JOSEPH,  THE  GENEROUS 

References: 

Tristram,  p.  248. 

Price,  pp.  107-9. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Joseph,"  "Goshen." 

Biblical  World,  April,  1907,  pp.  301-4. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  see  that  forgiveness  is  the  best  revenge. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
Joseph's  possession  of  the  store  of  grain  brought 
him  into  contact  with  those  who  came  to  buy  on 
account  of  the  famine.  To  his  great  astonishment 
his  ten  brothers  appeared  one  day.  He  recognized 
them  at  once,  but,  of  course,  they  could  not  know 
him.  He  felt  no  bitterness  against  them,  but  he 
instantly  decided  on  a  plan  to  lead  them  to  see 
their  guilt  and  to  repent.  By  treating  them  roughly 
and  compelling  them  to  bring  their  youngest 
brother,  and  then  by  putting  Benjamin  into  danger, 
he  brought  them  to  a  point  where  they  were  will- 
ing to  do  anything  to  save  the  boy  who  was  their 
father's  favorite.  Thus  they  atoned  for  their  old 
sin  and  the  forgiveness  could  be  complete. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTE 
Note     I.        Patriarchal    authority. — Students     in     our 
democratic    society   are    sometimes    unable   to    understand 
why    mature    men    should    be    so    obedient    to    their    old 


54  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

father.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  head  of  the 
family  was  not  only  father  but  also  ruler.  The  only 
government  they  had  was  that  of  the  patriarch.  Jacob 
was  the  sheikh  or  chieftain  of  the  clan,  and  his  word  was 
absolute  law.  Such  government  exists  among  the  Arab 
clans  today. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

If  the  students  have  read  the  story  carefully  at 
home  most  of  the  time  of  the  class  may  be  given  to 
a  rehearsal — by  the  students,  not  by  the  teacher — 
of  the  beautiful  narrative.  Let  it  be  said  again  that 
the  narration  should  be  vivid,  picturesque,  rapid, 
avoiding  detail,  and  dwelling  on  the  striking  points. 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

7J.  Ask  the  class:  Did  you  ever  have  a  good 
chance  to  get  even  with  a  person  who  had  done 
you  an  injury?  How  does  it  feel  to  enjoy  revenge? 
Did  you  ever  forgive  a  person  instead  of  getting 
even?  How  does  that  feel?  Then  recall  the  facts 
of  the  story  by  asking  what  cause  Joseph  had  for 
getting  even  with  his  brothers. 

7^.  Jacob  in  Canaan. — Let  the  circumstances  in 
which  Jacob  and  his  sons  were  living  in  Canaan  be 
recalled.  Let  the  map  be  used  as  a  review  of  the 
relation  of  Canaan  and  Egypt.  According  to  our 
story  the  famine  had  spread  to  Canaan.  Picture 
the  distress  of  a  famine.  Draw  attention  to  Jacob's 
care  for  Benjamin. 

75.  Joseph's  brothers. — Joseph's  conduct  is  to 
be  understood  as  a  whole.    The  student's  imasfina- 


JOSEPH,  THE  GENEROUS  55 

tion  may  realize  the  conflicting  emotions  produced 
by  the  first  sight  of  the  brothers.  Joseph  felt  that 
no  good  would  be  gained  by  an  immediate  forgive- 
ness, but  if  he  could  get  them  to  reverse  their 
former  conduct  a  real  reformation  of  character 
might  be  secured. 

/d.  The  trouble  of  the  brothers. — Deeply  pa- 
thetic is  the  report  to  Jacob.  Be  sure  that  the  stu- 
dents reproduce  the  features  of  these  speeches  in 
detail  and  from  memory. 

77.  The  hard  decision. — Bring  out  strongly  the 
reluctance  of  Jacob  to  let  Benjamin  go  down. 
There  is  an  interesting  touch  where  the  shrewd  old 
Jacob,  who  had  sent  the  present  before  him  to 
Esau,  still  remembers  the  value  of  a  propitiatory 
offering. 

/8.  The  fear  of  the  brethren. — Their  fear  at 
the  unexpected  and  unexplained  summons  to  the 
house  of  the  great  man  is  the  important  point. 

yg.  The  feast. — There  are  pictures  of  Egyptian 
feasts  portrayed  on  the  tombs,  which  can  be  found 
in  any  book  dealing  with  Egyptian  life.  Joseph's 
emotion  at  the  sight  of  Benjamin  is  very  touching, 
and  so  also  is  his  eager  enquiry  after  his  father. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  dramatic  movement  in  the 
story.  Be  sure  that  it  is  brought  out.  Do  not  let 
the  narrative  drag.  The  students  should  give  it 
in  bold  outlines.  A  slight  halt  may  be  made  where 
some  natural  reflections  suggest  themselves.  The 
astonishment  of  the  men  at  Joseph's  apparently 


56  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

superhuman  knowledge  of  their  relative  ages  should 
be  noted. 

80.  Benjamin's  danger. — Of  course  it  is  most 
iniquitous  to  plot  the  manufacture  of  criminal  evi- 
dence against  an  innocent  man,  but  Joseph  is  only 
using  a  stratagem  to  bring  these  men  to  a  realiza- 
tion of  fraternal  duty.  The  assurance  of  innocence 
and  the  horror  at  the  discovery  is  well  told.  The 
use  of  the  cup  "to  divine"  means  that  in  some  way 
it  was  supposed  to  assist  the  user  in  determining 
the  will  of  God.  Like  the  dreams,  it  is  a  mark  of 
primitive  religion.  Joseph  brings  matters  to  a 
head  by  demanding  that  the  guilty  Benjamin  stay 
with  him  as  his  slave. 

81.  Judah's  noble  offer. — The  brothers  cannot 
go  back  to  the  old  man  and  tell  him  that  they  have 
lost  Benjamin.  Judali  is  ready  to  give  his  life  for 
the  boy.  When  he  has  reached  that  point  it  is  safe 
for  Joseph  to  forgive. 

82.  Joseph's  forgiveness. — Care  must  be  taken 
that  the  strong  form  in  which  Joseph  announces 
his  faith  that  God's  hand  was  in  his  coming  to 
Egypt  does  not  cause  confusion  of  moral  distinc- 
tion in  the  minds  of  the  students.  He  brings  out 
the  truth  more  clearly  in  Gen.  50:20.  They  were 
none  the  less  culpable,  though  an  overruling  provi- 
dence had  frustrated  their  evil  designs. 

5j.  Joseph  and  his  father. — The  reception  by 
Jacob  of  the  good  news  is  wonderfully  told.  An 
interesting  touch  is  the  impression  that  the  wagons 
made  upon   him.     The  territory  of   Goshen   was 


JOSEPH,  THE  GENEROUS  57 

near  the  border  which  the  Hebrews  would  cross  in 
entering  Egypt.  It  was  well  adapted  to  grazing, 
and  it  left  the  Hebrews  sufficiently  isolated  from 
the  Egyptians  so  that  they  could  carry  on  their 
own  tribal  life.  Locate  it  on  the  map.  The  teacher 
may  end  the  story  with  a  few  words  regarding  the 
death  of  Jacob  and  of  Joseph. 

Summary 

The  story  shows  that  while  we  ought  always  to 
be  willing  to  forgive  it  is  not  always  best  to  tell 
people  that  they  are  forgiven.  Our  parents  do  not 
tell  us  of  their  forgiveness  until  we  tell  them  that 
we  are  sorry.  Joseph  rejoiced  in  being  generous, 
and  all  came  out  well. 

Written  Review 

We  do  not  wish  to  have  the  students  write 
account  of  their  virtues  in  their  notebooks,  but 
they  will  be  better  able  to  pronounce  upon  Joseph 
if  they  have  been  trying  to  practice  his  spirit. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Simply  announce  that  we  are  to  begin  the  study 
of  a  new  hero  who  had  some  very  interesting  ad- 
ventures. 


MOSES 

IX.  Moses'  Early  Life 

X.  Moses'  Commission 

XI.  Moses,  the  Deliverer 

Xn.  Moses,  the  Lawgiver 


IX.    MOSES'  EARLY  LIFE 

References: 

Price,  pp.  1 13-17. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Moses,"  "Zipporah." 

Biblical  World,  May,  1907,  pp.  361-69,  376-81. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  see  how  the  strange  circumstances  of  life 
prepared  a  hero  for  his  work. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
The  Hebrews  who  were  living  in  Egypt  became 
a  great  people.  Their  numbers  excited  the  jeal- 
ousy of  the  Egyptian  rulers,  so  they  were  enslaved 
and  set  to  work  upon  the  great  buildings  of  their 
masters.  By  wonderful  deliverance  and  unex- 
pected education  one  of  the  Hebrews  was  prepared 
for  his  great  destiny  as  savior  of  his  people.  His 
hot  zeal  when  he  first  realized  his  obligation  put 
an  end  to  his  opportunity  for  the  time.  He  was 
compelled  to  flee  and  in  a  long  exile  seemed  to  for- 
get all  about  his  people.  Meantime  they  were 
suffering  increasing  hardships.  But  the  Lord  was 
preparing  the  hero  to  deliver  them. 

EXPLANATORY   NOTE 

Note    J.     Ramses    II. — It    seems    probable    that    the 

Pharaoh  who  was  reigning  in  Egypt  during  the  time  of 

the    Hebrew    bondage    was   the    celebrated    and    splendid 

Ramses   II.     He   was   one   of   the   greatest  of   Egyptian 

61 


6a  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

builders.  Of  course  this  was  long  after  the  pyramids 
were  constructed.  But  he  built  great  temples  and  palaces. 
Our  illustration  on  p.  88  shows  the  entrance  to  the  enor- 
mous rock  temple  far  up  the  Nile  near  the  Second  Cata- 
ract. Colossal  statues  of  Ramses  II,  sixty-five  feet  in 
height,  carved  out  of  the  solid  rock,  guard  the  entrance 
to  this  great  temple,  and  within  it  is  constructed  in  like 
proportions.    All  this  enormous  labor  was  done  by  slaves 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE   POINT   OF   CONTACT 

84.  The  teacher  may  well  begin  with  the  ques- 
tion, Why  do  we  call  Washington  the  father  of 
his  country?  If  the  teacher  will  look  up  in  the 
encyclopedia  the  story  of  Garibaldi,  it  may  be  well 
to  give  it  very  briefly.  Let  the  students  realize  the 
significance  of  founding  a  nation.  Explain  that 
while  Abraham  was  the  great  ancestor  of  the 
Hebrews,  the  man  that  made  them  a  nation  was 
Moses. 

55.  The  Hebrew  people. — Explain  to  the  class 
that  while  Jacob  had  twelve  sons  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  servants,  so  that  his  people  formed  a  consid- 
erable tribe,  yet  there  could  not  have  been  a  very 
large  number,  comparatively  speaking,  that  went 
down  to  Egypt.  But  they  were  a  vigorous  race, 
they  had  settled  in  a  fertile  land,  and  they  were  at 
peace,  so  that  they  rapidly  increased  in  numbers. 
A  very  long  time  may  hive  elapsed,  sufficient  for 
the  tribe  to  become  a  people. 

86.  Egyptian  buildings. — Ask  about  the  pyra- 
mids.    Show  the  picture  in  Price   (p.  192).     Let 


MOSES'  EARLY  LIFE  63 

the  students  understand  that  it  was  all  done  by 
slave  labor.  This  was  long  before  the  Hebrews 
went  to  Egypt.  Explain  the  building  activity  of 
Ramses  11. 

5/.  Harsh  labor  conditions. — An  interesting  dis- 
cussion on  labor  conditions  as  the  boys  and  girls 
see  them  may  be  helpful. 

88.  The  king's  decree. — Bring  out  the  brutality 
of  the  king's  plan. 

5p.  Birth  of  the  hero. — Let  the  picturesque  story 
of  the  ark  of  bulrushes  be  well  told,  with  all  the 
striking  circumstances. 

go.  Adoption  of  Moses. — We  must  not  make 
too  much  of  the  tradition  that  Moses  was  "learned 
in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians,"  but  his  resi- 
dence at  the  court  must  have  been  of  great  value 
to  him.  The  means  which  the  Pharaoh  devised 
for  the  destruction  of  Israel  brought  about  the 
training  of  the  deliverer. 

gi.  Loyalty  zvithout  wisdom. — Make  much  of 
Moses'  heroic  choice.  Heb.  11:24-26  is  a  fine 
comment.  Nothing  is  meaner  than  to  be  ashamed 
of  one's  people  or  family.  We  sympathize  with 
the  hot  blow  that  felled  the  tyrant,  but  only  one 
Egyptian  was  killed.  Deliverance  could  not  come 
in  that  way.  Even  righteous  anger  must  be  guarded 
carefully. 

g2.  Moses'  disappointment. — Every  great  leader 
meets  discouragement  among  his  own  people. 
Lincoln  suffered  greatly  from  criticism  and  mis- 
representation in  his  own  party. 


64  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

pj.  Noses'  flight. — Moses  had  thrown  away  the 
opportunity  of  helping  his  people  by  his  rash  act. 
Encourage  discussion  on  this  point. 

P4.  Moses  in  Midian. — Not  very  much  can  be 
done  with  the  geography  in  this  narrative  as  the 
location  of  Midian  is  uncertain.  In  the  map  of 
the  Semitic  world  it  is  indicated  east  of  the  Gulf 
of  Akabah.  It  will  be  enough  to  notice  on  the  map 
the  general  direction  of  Moses'  flight.  The  beauti- 
ful story  speaks  for  itself  if  read  with  keen  imagi- 
nation. Picture  the  lonely  fugitive,  the  seven  girls 
with  the  sheep,  the  churlish  shepherds,  the  gallant 
young  Moses,  the  invitation  to  the  priest's  home, 
the  marriage  in  due  time. 

pj.  The  Hebrew  bondage. — Make  the  contrast 
with  the  fate  of  the  poor  Hebrews.  Then  let  the 
students  realize  "God  within  the  shadow,  keeping 
watch  above  his  own."  Let  the  students  see  that 
the  future  of  the  Hebrew  people  depended  upon 
their  being  obliged  to  leave  Egypt. 

Summary 

It  takes  many  experiences  to  make  a  strong 
character.  Moses  had  the  advantage  of  an  early 
training  by  his  own  mother  in  the  simple  home, 
then  the  education  in  the  Egyptian  court  which 
gave  him  the  learning  which  he  needed  for  his 
work.  The  reversal  of  his  fortunes  and  his  life  in 
the  wilderness  gave  him  a  harder  training  which 
fitted  him  to  meet  the  many  difficulties  of  his  later 
life.     We  always  wish  that  we  might  be  prepared 


MOSES'  EARLY  LIFE  65 

in  the  pleasing  ways,  but  sometimes  we  need  hard- 
ness. 

Written  Review 

Explain  that  most  strong  men  and  women  have 
found  themselves  prepared  for  their  work  by  try- 
ing experiences.  Encourage  the  student  to  find 
out  such  facts  about  someone  whom  he  respects, 
and  to  write  a  brief  account  of  it. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

When  Moses  was  married  and  living  in  Midian 
do  you  suppose  he  tliought  much  about  his  own 
people?  Would  he  ever  think  that  he  ought  to 
go  back  and  try  to  help  them  ?  Would  it  be  danger- 
ous to  do  so?  We  shall  see  in  the  next  lesson  how 
he  decided  to  go  back. 


X.    MOSES'  COMMISSION 

References: 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Moses,"  "Sandals," 

"Egyptian  Bondage." 
Biblical  World,  May,  1907,  pp.  381-83. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  see  how  God  called  a  hero  to  his  duty. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

Moses  was  living  in  Midian.  He  became  a 
shepherd  tending  the  flocks  of  his  father-in-law- 
In  the  leisure  permitted  by  that  occupation  he  often 
thought  of  his  duty  toward  his  people.  But  it  must 
have  been  hard  for  him  to  see  what  he  could  do. 
He  came  to  the  sacred  mountain.  Doubtless  he 
prayed.  Suddenly  God  revealed  to  him  his  duty 
in  a  wonderful  vision.  He  sent  him  to  Pharaoh 
with  a  commission  to  demand  that  the  Hebrews 
should  be  freed.  Moses  naturally  hesitated,  but 
was  reassured  by  signs.  He  continued  to  hesitate 
and  was  rebuked,  for  too  great  hesitation  is  want 
of  faith.  He  returned  to  Egypt  and  found  his 
people  in  bitter  bondage.  The  Pharaoh  scornfully 
refused  his  request.  The  bondage  was  made 
heavier  and  the  Hebrews  turned  against  their  cham- 
pion. Moses  was  discouraged,  but  was  assured  by 
the  Lord  that  he  would  yet  succeed. 

66 


MOSES'  COMMISSION  67 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

Ask  the  class,  Do  you  like  to  get  alone  some- 
times away  from  everybody?  How  does  it  make 
you  feel?  Did  you  ever  think  when  you  were 
alone  what  you  would  like  to  do  when  you  were 
grown  up?  How  do  you  suppose  a  strong  man 
would  feel  if  he  were  alone  and  knew  that  his 
people  were  in  trouble,  waiting  for  some  leader  to 
come  and  help  them?  Let  us  see  how  Moses  felt 
in  Midian. 

p6.  Moses  in  Midian. — As  already  noted,  the 
locations  are  uncertain.  The  general  location  of 
Midian  and  Sinai  is  given  on  the  map.  It  will  be 
sufficient  to  indicate  the  relation  of  these  places  to 
Egypt. 

p/.  The  burning  bush. — Endeavor  to  make  the 
students  enter  into  Moses'  struggle  of  soul.  He 
did  not  want  to  go  back  to  Egypt,  yet  he  longed  to 
save  his  people.  He  prayed  about  it  at  the  sacred 
mountain.  At  last  the  vision  came.  So  the  way 
of  duty  always  opens  to  a  man  whose  conscience  is 
awakened.  Look  up  the  story  of  Joan  of  Arc  in 
a  cyclopedia  and  tell  the  class  how  she  felt  for  her 
troubled  country. 

p8.  The  commission. — Show  how  God  was 
waiting  till  the  man  was  ready. 

pp.  Moses'  hesitation. — It  was  natural  that 
Moses  should  hesitate  when  he  thought  of  the  diffi- 
culties. Ask  one  of  the  class  to  relate  how  the 
Hebrews  had  treated  Moses. 


68  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

700.  Too  great  hesitation. — Show  the  difference 
between  a  humble  reluctance  which  is  good  and 
vacillation  which  is  weak.  It  is  probably  not  to  be 
understood  that  Aaron  came  to  meet  Moses  in 
Midian,  but  that  he  would  meet  him  when  he  re- 
turned to  Egypt. 

loi.  The  return  to  Egypt. — Encourage  a  vivid 
description  of  the  meeting  of  the  brothers,  their 
proclamation  to  the  Hebrews  of  the  coming  deliver- 
ance, and  the  wonderful  signs. 

102.  Moses'  courage. — If  Moses  hesitated  at 
first,  he  went  with  a  fine  courage  to  challenge  the 
king.  Note  that  he  speaks  to  Pharaoh  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord.  But  Pharaoh's  god  is  different  from 
Jehovah  of  the  Hebrews.  The  king  does  not  see 
why  he  should  obey  a  strange  deity. 

los-  The  Hebrews'  task. — The  students  will  be 
interested  in  a  discussion  of  the  brick-making. 
Show  how  the  work  was  organized.  Bring  out 
clearly  that  as  a  result  of  Moses'  interference 
additional  labor  was  laid  upon  the  people. 

104.  The  task  increased. — The  people  could 
not  do  all  that  was  required,  so  the  Hebrew  officers 
were  beaten.  Let  the  harshness  of  the  bondage  be 
well  understood. 

105.  The  hitter  complaint. — Vividness  may  be 
given  to  such  a  narrative  as  this  by  the  students 
taking  the  part  of  the  various  speakers  and  carry- 
ing out  the  conversation.  Let  one  represent 
Pharaoh;  several,  the  Egyptian  taskmasters;  and 
several,  the  Hebrew  officers. 


MOSES'  COMMISSION  69 

J06.  The  Lord's  promise. — Let  the  lesson  close 
with  the  feeling  of  Moses'  sadness  in  his  disap- 
pointment and  of  expectancy  because  of  the  Lord's 
promise. 

Summary 

Heroes  are  often  led  gradually  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  their  duty.  We  often  have  struggles 
of  soul  about  what  we  ought  to  do,  and  the  great 
men  of  the  world  have  had  the  same.  Heroism 
does  not  consist  in  making  up  one's  mind  easily, 
but  in  persistently  following  duty  when  it  is  clearly 
seen.  Moses  hesitated  long,  but  when  he  under- 
took his  task  he  went  through  with  it  fearlessly. 

Written  Review 
The  debate  will  awaken  interest  if  it  is  skilfully 
managed.  There  will  not  be  time  for  it  at  the 
next  lesson  as  the  narrative  of  the  Plagues  is  a  long 
one.  Arrangements  should  be  made  for  an  extra 
meeting  of  the  class  to  hold  the  debate.  It  may 
be  made  a  social  evening.  Some  of  the  parents 
might  be  asked  to  act  as  judges.  Let  the  class  be 
divided  into  two  sides  and  let  them  think  out  the 
arguments.  Young  people  are  likely  to  be  alert  in 
seeing  the  points  for  and  against.  It  would  be  well 
to  talk  over  the  arguments  with  the  leaders.  If 
they  do  not  see  all  the  points  it  may  be  well  to  sug- 
gest them.  For  the  affirmative  it  may  be  said  that 
Moses  thought  only  of  his  own  safety;  he  married, 
and  settled  down  and  forgot  his  people;  that  he 
ought  to  have  made  some  endeavor  to  plan   for 


^0  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

their  escape;  that  if  he  had  prayed  to  God  sooner 
he  would  have  found  the  divine  direction.  For  the 
negative  it  may  be  urged  that  one  man  could  do 
nothing  against  a  nation;  that  Moses  had  been 
obliged  to  flee  for  his  life;  that  he  was  probably 
constantly  thinking  of  his  people's  needs,  but  it 
had  never  occurred  to  him  that  he  could  go  to 
Pharaoh ;  that  as  soon  as  God  made  it  clear  to  him 
he  undertook  the  duty. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Ask  the  question,  To  what  danger  were  Moses 
and  Aaron  exposed  in  Egypt?  It  is  evident  that 
the  powerful  king  might  order  them  to  be  killed  at 
any  moment.  It  was  only  by  some  very  wonder- 
ful efforts  that  they  were  able  to  compel  him  to  let 
the  Hebrews  go  free.  Explain  that  the  story  of 
the  next  lesson  is  a  little  longer  than  usual,  but  it 
is  full  of  interest.  Urge  them  to  prepare  it  care- 
fully. 


XI.    MOSES,  THE  DELIVERER 

References: 

Price,  pp.   117-22. 

Dictionary   of  the  Bible,  articles   "Moses,"   "Plagues 

of  Egypt,"  "Firstborn." 
Biblical  World,  May,  1907,  pp.  385-87. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  show  how  by  faith  in  God  a  hero  was  able 
to  save  his  people. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

Moses  by  divine  authority  threatened  Pharaoh 
with  punishment  unless  he  liberated  the  Hebrews. 
Nine  plagues  were  brought  upon  the  king.  Nine 
times  he  promised  freedom  and  broke  his  word. 
At  last  the  slaughter  of  the  firstborn  terrified  him, 
and  he  permitted  his  slaves  to  go  free.  Moses  led 
them  over  the  same  road  by  which  he  had  himself 
formerly  escaped.  Again  the  Pharaoh  hardened 
his  heart,  decided  to  recapture  the  slaves,  and  pur- 
sued them  with  an  army.  A  providential  wind 
drove  away  the  shallow  waters  that  separated  the 
Hebrews  from  the  eastern  shore.  They  crossed  in 
safety,  but  the  Egyptians  who  attempted  to  fol- 
low them  were  drowned.  With  great  joy  they  cele- 
brated their  deliverance. 

71 


72  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

lOJ.  In  the  last  lesson  there  was  a  question 
whether  Moses  had  shown  the  proper  boldness  and 
willingness  to  undertake  his  difficult  task.  Ask 
the  students  who  is  the  braver  man:  the  one  who 
measures  the  danger,  shrinks  from  it,  but  goes  for- 
ward because  it  is  duty,  or  the  one  who  rushes  on 
without  thinking  of  danger. 

io8.  The  plagues. — The  teacher  may  read  the 
discussion  of  the  Plagues  in  the  Dictionary  of  the 
Bible.  They  should  be  treated  very  briefly,  how- 
ever, in  class.  A  few  explanatory  words  on  each 
will  be  enough.  The  dramatic  effect  is  produced 
by  moving  quickly  to  the  climax. 

lop.  Pharaoh's  false  dealing. — The  moral  sig- 
nificance of  the  story  is  in  Pharaoh's  vacillation. 
He  wants  to  do  wrong,  but  he  wants  to  escape  the 
punishment. 

no.  The  death  of  the  firstborn. — The  teacher 
should  be  able  to  feel  and  reproduce  the  dramatic 
character  of  this  narrative:  the  catastrophe,  the 
horror,  the  gathering  clans,  the  organization  of  the 
expedition,  the  eagerness  of  the  Egyptians  to  speed 
the  departing  slaves. 

III.  The  departure  of  the  Hebrezvs. — Use  the 
map  of  the  Semitic  world.  If  possible  draw  a 
rough  map  on  the  blackboard  to  illustrate  the  pos- 
sible routes  of  escape  from  Egypt.  The  northeast 
boundary  just  beyond  Goshen  was  protected  by  a 
line  of  forts.    The  Hebrews  would  have  been  afraid 


MOSES,  THE  DELIVERER  73 

as  soon  as  they  saw  the  soldiers.  So,  while  this 
was  the  easy  route  to  Canaan,  Moses  did  not  fol- 
low it. 

112.  The  route  of  the  Exodus. — Recall  to  the 
students  that  as  Moses  had  already  fled  once  from 
Egypt  he  knew  how  to  go.  There  had  never  been 
need  to  fortify  the  route  to  the  north  of  the  Gulf 
of  Suez,  for  Egypt  was  in  no  danger  of  attack 
from  the  wilderness.  Moses  knew  that  the  waters 
there  were  very  shallow  and  hoped  to  be  able  to 
get  across  at  low  tide. 

J/J.  The  pursuit. — The  moral  significance  of 
the  story  is  in  the  difference  between  the  cowardly 
people  and  the  confident  leader.  Moses  had  met 
God  and  had  learned  to  trust  him.  Ask  the  stu- 
dents what  great  Americans  were  courageous  in 
terrible  straits.  Washington  at  Valley  Forge  was  a 
leader  like  Moses. 

114.  The  danger  of  the  Hebrezvs. — It  is  im- 
portant to  understand  the  situation.  The  whole 
region  is  sandy  and  subject  to  the  changing  con- 
dition of  the  tides.  Everything  would  depend  upon 
the  wind  if  the  waters  were  unusually  high. 

II j.  The  wonderful  deliverance. — There  are 
three  different  accounts  woven  together  in  Exod. 
15:15-31.  This  makes  it  a  little  difficult  to  give 
one  clear  story.  Long  afterward  the  Hebrews 
thought  that  God  separated  the  waters  so  that  the 
people  passed  through  with  a  wall  of  water  on  each 
side.  Many  of  the  pictures  have  so  presented  the 
story.    But  the  earlier  writers  tell  us  that  the  winds 


74  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

blew  the  waters  back  so  that  the  whole  way  was 
clear.  Then  it  would  seem  that  the  chariot  wheels 
of  the  Egyptians  sank  in  the  soft  sand.  The  pas- 
sage of  the  Hebrews  was  made  at  night.  Their 
enemies  followed  and  perhaps  engaged  them  in 
battle  the  next  morning.  But  suddenly  the  high 
wind  ceased,  allowing  the  waters  that  had  been 
driven  back  to  return.  The  Egyptians  were  caught 
in  the  returning  tide.  The  young  students  will  be 
greatly  interested  in  these  simple  facts  if  their 
natural  character  is  clearly  shown. 

ii6.  The  song  of  victory. — After  the  defeat  of 
the  Spanish  Armada  the  English  struck  a  medal 
with  the  inscription :  "He  blew  with  His  winds  and 
they  were  scattered."  It  was  a  recognition  of 
divine  Providence  as  in  the  case  of  Moses.  The 
students  should  learn  the  six  lines  of  the  song  that 
are  printed  in  the  text.  It  would  be  well  if  ar- 
rangements were  made  for  them  to  recite  the 
lines  in  concert  as  a  part  of  the  general  exercises 
of  the  school.  Then  let  the  teacher  answer  in  the 
words  of  Miriam.  These  little  ceremonies  will  be 
found  of  great  educational  value. 

Summary 

Moses'  faith  and  splendid  courage  appear  more 
and  more  strongly.  He  is  willing  to  go  ten  times 
before  Pharaoh  and  to  threaten  him.  He  leads  his 
timorous  people  and  comforts  them  in  all  their 
murmurings.  He  is  confident  that  the  Lord  will 
enable  him  to  bring  them  to  safety,  even  when  the 


MOSES,  THE  DELIVERER  75 

Egyptian  hosts  are  thundering  after  them.  The 
victories  of  the  world  are  won  by  the  men  who 
have  confidence. 

Written  Review 

Help  the  students  to  understand  how  their  maps 
are  to  be  drawn.  Encourage  them  to  make  these 
accurately  and  neatly. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

What  would  Moses  do  with  his  crowd  of  liber- 
ated slaves  when  he  had  to  lead  them  through  the 
wilderness  and  prepare  them  to  be  a  nation?  It 
is  evident  that  he  had  a  difficult  task.  We  shall 
see  in  the  next  lesson  how  he  carried  it  out. 


XII.     MOSES,  THE  LAWGIVER 

References: 

Stewart,  p.  2^^. 

Tristram,  p.  171. 

Dictionary    of    the   Bible,    articles    "Moses,"   "Sinai," 
"Ten   Commandments,"  "Nebo." 

Biblical   World,  June,   1907,  pp.  451-65;   August,  pp. 
132-34- 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  see  how  a  hero  led  his  people  faithfully  in 
spite  of  their  misunderstanding  and  bitter  oppo- 
sition. 

Essence  of  the' Story 

Moses'  wonderful  leadership  of  the  murmuring 
people  for  forty  years  is  here  given  in  brief.  They 
were  discouraged  from  the  first.  They  followed 
him  unwillingly.  They  listened  to  the  sacred  law 
with  trembling.  While  he  was  in  the  mountain 
they  went  back  to  their  idolatry  and  made  a  golden 
calf.  Although  they  were  forgiven  they  repeatedly 
rebelled.  Moses  led  them,  rebuked  them,  en- 
couraged them,  prayed  for  them,  and  brought  them 
at  last  to  the  borders  of  the  promised  land.  In  a 
noble,  manly  speech  he  told  them  their  duty;  then 
he  went  up  into  the  mountain  and  died. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
There  is  a  method  of  teaching  known  as  the 
Development  Method  which  may  often  be  employed 
76 


MOSES,  THE  LAWGIVER  77 

very  effectively.  It  does  not  presuppose  a  previous 
study  of  the  lesson  on  the  part  of  the  students.  It 
may,  therefore,  be  very  well  employed  after  a 
vacation,  or  when  for  any  reason  it  is  likely  that 
the  lesson  has  not  been  prepared.  The  method  in- 
volves telling  as  little  as  possible  and  drawing  out 
as  much  as  possible  from  the  students'  intelligence. 
The  following  questions  will  indicate  how  this 
method  may  be  employed  in  the  teaching  of  this 
lesson : 

What  did  the  Americans  gain  by  the  Revolu- 
tionary War? 

What  was  their  great  need  at  the  close  of  the 
war?  The  students  may  think  of  a  great  leader, 
in  which  case  ask  them  what  was  the  name  of  the 
leader. 

What  was  the  need  of  the  colonies  in  order  to 
establish  their  government?  Draw  out  from  the 
students  that  a  law  or  a  constitution  was  needed. 

Does  every  nation  need  law  and  government? 

Why  would  a  nation  especially  need  this  when 
they  first  started? 

When  did  the  Hebrews  make  a  great  start  in 
national  life? 

What  was  their  great  deliverance? 

Who  was  their  leader? 

What  would  be  their  great  need  after  their  de- 
liverance? So  bring  out  that  the  Hebrew  people 
after  crossing  the  Red  Sea  were  in  great  need  of 
a  law,  a  constitution,  to  organize  their  national  life. 

Who  was  the  man  to  give  them  their  law? 


78  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Let  us  try  to  see  where  Moses  would  take  the 
people  in  order  to  give  them  their  law. 

What  was  the  most  sacred  place  in  the  world  to 
Moses? 

We  studied  about  Moses'  commission.  What 
was  his  commission? 

Where  did  he  receive  it? 

That  sacred  place  where  God  had  spoken  to  him 
was  a  natural  place  to  which  to  take  his  people  for 
God  to  give  them  their  law. 

How  would  the  people  reach  Mount  Sinai  after 
they  had  crossed  the  Red  Sea? 

How  would  they  be  likely  to  feel  as  they  passed 
through  the  difficulties  of  the  wilderness?  So 
bring  out  the  murmuring  of  the  people. 

When  they  came  to  Mount  Sinai  God  gave 
them  a  great  law.  Every  member  of  the  class 
learned  that  law  once  by  heart.    What  is  it  called  ? 

Notice  especially  the  second  commandment. 
Why  was  that  given  to  the  people  ?  They  had  been 
living  among  idolaters  and  they  constantly  wanted 
to  make  an  idol  to  represent  the  Lord. 

Who  was  the  man  that  kept  them  faithful  to 
the  Lord? 

What  would  be  likely  to  happen  if  Moses  went 
away  from  them? 

He  did  go  away  into  the  mountain  for  forty 
days  and  they  thought  he  was  lost.  The  people 
wanted  to  worship  a  god,  so  they  went  back  to  their 
old  idolatry.  How  could  they  make  an  idol  in  the 
wilderness  ? 


MOSES.  THE  LAWGIVER  79 

But  Moses  was  not  lost.  How  would  he  feel 
when  he  came  down  from  the  mountain  and  saw 
the  people  dancing  about  their  idol? 

What  do  you  think  God  would  say  to  Moses 
about  it? 

Would  Moses  forgive  the  people? 

What  would  he  say  to  God  about  the  people? 

We  learn  that  the  people  were  so  rebellious 
that  they  were  obliged  to  wander  about  in  the  wil- 
derness for  forty  years.  The  old  people  all  died 
and  their  children  succeeded  them. 

Would  Moses  be  very  old  at  the  end  of  that 
time? 

Was  he  the  kind  of  man  by  that  time  to  lead 
the  people  into  the  promised  land? 

If  Moses  found  that  a  younger  man  was  to  be 
chosen  for  the  leader,  do  you  think  he  would  be 
jealous  ? 

When  the  old  leader  made  his  last  speech,  just 
before  his  death,  what  do  you  think  he  would  say 
to  the  people  about  their  prospects  in  the  promised 
land? 

What  would  he  say  to  the  new  leader  who 
was  to  succeed  him? 

If  you  look  at  the  map  of  Canaan  and  find 
Mount  Pisgah  just  east  of  the  Dead  Sea,  you  will 
see  how  a  man  standing  on  its  high  crest  could 
look  far  over  the  land  of  Canaan.  He  could  see 
before  him  the  hill  country  of  what  later  was 
called  Judah.    How  would  he  feel  about  the  land 


8o  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

which  was  to  belong  to  his  people,  but  which  he 
himself  was  never  to  enter? 

He  died  in  the  mountain  and  Israel  made  a 
solemn  mourning  for  him.  When  they  looked 
back  upon  the  great  leadership  of  Moses,  what 
would  his  people  think  of  him? 

Summary 
The  great  unselfish  leadership  of  Moses  can  be 
very  satisfactorily  developed  from  a  class  that  has 
studied  the  preceding  lessons.  They  will  be  able 
to  appreciate  the  sacrifice  and  heroism  of  the  man 
who  refused  to  be  daunted  by  any  danger,  and 
could  not  lose  his  love  even  for  a  people  that  re- 
belled against  him. 

Written  Review 
The  little  drawing  exercise  that  is  asked  for 
should  be  carefully  explained  and  an  effort  made 
to  encourage  the  students  to  do  the  work  neatly. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
Explain  that  we  have  been  studying  five  men 
and  that  we  shall  now  spend  a  lesson  in  making 
them  very  familiar  to  us.  The  first  man  was  he 
who  went  west  as  God  directed  him;  the  second 
was  his  obedient  son;  the  third  was  the  man  who 
tried  to  right  an  old  wrong;  the  fourth  was  the 
man  who  was  faithful  and  who  forgave;  the  fifth 
was  the  man  who  made  the  nation.  Explain  that 
chap,  xiii  shows  the  students  how  to  prepare  for 
the  review.    There  are  thirteen  paragraphs.    Para- 


MOSES,  THE  LAWGIVER  8i 

graph  128  is  introductory.  Paragraph  129  refers 
back  to  paragraphs  5-7,  which  the  students  will 
find  on  p.  7,  and  to  §2  of  the  text,  which  is  on  p.  3. 
They  should  first  read  the  section  of  the  text  and 
then  recall  what  is  discussed  in  the  paragraphs  ; 
then  they  should  recall  the  lessons.  So  they  should 
go  through  each  paragraph.  They  will  thus  make 
a  complete  review  of  the  lessons  that  have  been 
studied. 


REVIEW 

XIII.    The  Heroes  of  Israel's  Wanderings 


XIII.    REVIEW:   THE  HEROES  OF 
ISRAEL'S  WANDERINGS 
Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  see  how  these  heroes  exhibit  certain  qualities 
of  greatness. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
It  will  not  be  advisable  to  follow  the  review  as 
given  in  the  student's  book.  But  if  the  pupils 
have  done  their  work  in  preparation  an  interesting 
and  valuable  discussion  may  be  based  upon  it.  In 
recalling  the  incidents  that  have  been  studied  the 
teacher  should  be  very  careful  that  no  time  is 
spent  upon  details.  A  few  brief  vivid  words  of 
description  from  the  students  will  be  sufBcient. 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

In  a  class  of  boys,  ask  if  they  have  known 
many  boys  who  were  at  the  same  time  the  best 
scholars  in  the  school,  the  best  athletes  in  every 
sport,  and  the  best  fellows  in  every  way.  They 
will  see  that  no  one  person  has  all  the  best  qualities. 
A  similar  question  may  be  asked  of  a  class  of  girls. 
Then  ask  if  we  have  had  many  men  in  American 
life  who  have  combined  all  the  qualities  of  great- 
ness. Thus  lead  them  to  see  that  these  Hebrew 
heroes  do  not  each  present  us  with  an  ideal  of 
manhood,  but  each  shows  some  mark  of  greatness. 
It  was  for  this  reason  that  they  were  remembered 
and  that  their  stories  were  told. 

85 


86  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Faith. — Ask  the  students  what  they  suppose 
Abraham  would  have  thought  when  he  came  to  the 
Westland  if  he  could  have  seen  the  thousands  of  his 
people  who  came  centuries  afterward  to  that  same 
land  under  the  leadership  of  Moses.  What  would 
the  Pilgrim  Fathers  think  if  they  could  see 
America's  millions  today?  Show  that  it  is  a 
quality  of  greatness  to  be  able  to  believe  in  a 
glorious  future,  and  to  go  forth  in  the  way  of  duty 
expecting  God's  blessing.  That  is  why  Abraham 
is  called  "The  Father  of  the  Faithful." 

Magnanimity. — Tell  the  class  that  some  people 
have  a  great  deal  of  faith  in  the  good  future,  but 
they  want  to  keep  it  all  for  themselves.  They  are 
selfish.  Draw  out  from  the  students  the  story  of 
Abraham's  generosity,  and  show  that  this  is  a 
quality  of  greatness. 

Teachableness. — A  magnanimous  man  means 
one  with  a  big  heart.  It  is  a  very  different  thing 
to  have  the  "big  head."  Some  strong,  vigorous 
people  are  so  self-sufficient  that  they  cannot  be 
taught  anything.  Let  the  students  tell  briefly  how 
Abraham  learned  from  God  that  he  should  not 
sacrifice  his  son.  Thus  we  find  in  him  the  great 
quality  of  teachableness. 

Repentance. — Some  of  these  old  heroes  did 
wrong.  Ask  the  class  what  is  the  proper  thing  to 
do  in  circumstances  similar  to  those  with  which 
our  heroes  were  confronted.  Let  them  tell  briefly 
the  story  of  Jacob's  early  deceits,  of  his  repentance, 
and  of  his  attempt  in  later  life  to  right  his  wrong. 


HEROES  OF  ISRAEL'S  WANDERINGS         87 

Faithfulness. — For  the  most  part  these  heroes 
could  live  their  large  lives  in  working  out  their 
own  plans.  But  when  we  come  to  Joseph  we  find 
a  boy  who  has  to  be  a  hero  as  a  slave  and  as  a 
prisoner.  Let  the  class  tell  the  facts  very  briefly. 
Draw  out  from  them  the  nobility  of  faithfulness  in 
duty  whether  it  seems  to  pay  or  not.  This  is  a 
great  hero  quality. 

Forgiveness. — This  is  another  aspect  of  mag- 
nanimity. The  class  will  readily  recall  this  great 
trait  of  Joseph.  Be  sure  that  they  see  that  it  is 
heroic  to  forgive. 

Unselfishness. — Sometimes  we  get  a  chance  to 
choose  whether  we  will  go  with  those  who  need  us 
or  with  those  from  whom  we  can  get  something. 
The  hero  chooses  to  be  unselfish.  With  a  few 
questions  about  Moses'  early  life,  his  adoption  by 
the  Egyptians,  and  his  defense  of  his  own  people, 
bring  out  his  unselfishness  in  taking  his  place  with 
the  despised  Hebrews. 

Courage. — We  all  understand  that  courage  is 
heroic.  Let  the  students  tell  of  Moses'  courage  in 
confronting  Pharaoh. 

Leadership. — The  hero  must  be  able  to  do 
things.  The  class  will  rapidly  rehearse  the  great 
deliverance  brought  about  by  Moses,  and  his  lead- 
ership of  Israel  into  a  national  life. 

Summary 

These  nine  qualities  are  truly  heroic.  We  find 
them  here  in  different  men,  but  we  may  all  of  us 


88  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

have  them  all.  Boys  and  girls  may  have  them  all. 
Jesus  had  all  these  qualities  except  repentance, 
which  he  did  not  need.  He  believed  God;  he  felt 
that  it  was  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive; 
he  was  meek  and  lowly  of  heart;  he  went  about 
doing  good;  he  said  "Father,  forgive  them,  for 
they  know  not  what  they  do";  he  ate  with  pub- 
licans and  sinners ;  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  die ; 
he  said,  "Follow  me,"  and  he  has  led  the  world  in 
its  advance. 


WAR  HEROES 

XIV.  Joshua  and  Caleb 
XV.  Gideon,  the  Warrior 
XVI.  Samson,  the  Strong  Man 


XIV.    JOSHUA  AND  CALEB 

References: 

Tristram,  pp.  137-38. 

Dictionary   of   the  Bible,  articles   "Joshua,"   "Caleb," 

"Negeb"  (the  South),  "Giant,"  "Wilderness." 
Biblical  World,  August,  1907,  pp.  123-26;  September, 
pp.  202-7,  213-24. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  the  heroism  of  meeting  the  tasks  of 
life  without  being  afraid  of  their  difficulties. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
Moses  and  his  people  reached  the  southern 
border  of  Canaan.  He  sent  scouts  to  find  out  the 
condition  of  the  land.  They  reported  that  it  was 
a  good  land,  but  dangerous.  The  liberated  slaves 
were  in  no  mood  to  attack  a  warlike  people. 
Joshua  and  Caleb  presented  a  minority  report  and 
advised  that  the  land  could  be  conquered.  The 
people  rebelled  and  were  sentenced  to  spend  their 
lives  for  that  whole  generation  in  the  wilderness. 
At  the  end  of  forty  years  Moses  brought  them  to 
the  borders  of  the  land,  handed  over  his  office  to 
Joshua,  and  died.  The  new  leader  led  the  people 
to  a  triumphant  conquest.  When  the  rewards  were 
distributed,  Caleb,  the  grand  old  warrior,  asked 
for  the  very  land  to  be  given  him  which  the  scouts 
had  declared  to  be  most  dangerous. 
91 


92  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

We  may  follow  again  the  Development  Method 
and  bring  out  this  significant  story  by  the  following 
questions : 

When  the  children  of  Israel  escaped  from 
Egypt  what  was  the  great  expectation  of  their 
future  ? 

What  was  meant  by  the  promised  land? 

What  memories  had  come  down  about  Canaan? 

How  did  the  Israelites  happen  to  be  in  Egypt? 
Here  is  a  good  opportunity  for  brief  review. 

After  the  escape  from  the  Red  Sea,  why  did 
Moses  conduct  them  to  Mount  Sinai  instead  of  to 
Canaan  ? 

What  rebellious  act  of  the  people  at  Mount 
Sinai  almost  spoiled  the  whole  plan? 

Did  the  Lord  give  them  up  after  their  sin? 

At  this  point  let  the  map  at  the  beginning  of 
the  book  be  consulted  that  the  students  may  see  the 
approach  from  Sinai  to  the  region  known  as  the 
South,  or  better,  let  a  rough  map  be  drawn  upon 
the  blackboard.  Explain  that  the  Israelites  went 
on  from  Sinai  toward  Canaan. 

Had  any  of  them  ever  been  in  Canaan? 

If  you  were  general  of  an  army  what  would 
be  one  of  the  first  things  you  would  do  before 
entering  the  enemy's  country? 

What  would  Moses  probably  do  as  he  came  to 
the  southern  border  of  Canaan? 

Why  should  he  not  trust  in  the  Lord  instead  of 
making  preparations? 


JOSHUA  AND  CALEB  93 

What  facts  would  they  need  to  know  about  the 
land?  This  question  may  be  answered  by  refer- 
ences to  the  army  which  they  would  be  likely  to 
encounter.  Another  question  may  be  necessary  in 
order  to  bring  out  in  addition  the  fertile  character 
of  the  land.  For  example:  The  people  are  going 
into  the  land  to  live;  what,  therefore,  must  they 
find  out  about  it?  At  this  point  let  the  teacher 
read  very  carefully  the  commission  given  by  Moses 
to  the  spies. 

If  you  were  going  to  send  spies,  how  many 
would  you  send? 

We  learn  that  Moses  sent  twelve.  Why  was 
that? 

Why  should  there  be  one  from  each  tribe  ?  One 
of  this  committee  of  scouts  was  the  young  man 
who  had  been  in  the  mountain  with  Moses.  What 
was  his  name?  The  other  was  named  Caleb.  Let 
us  remember  these  two. 

What  was  it  that  Moses  asked  the  men  to  bring 
back? 

We  learn  that  they  brought  back  a  cluster  of 
grapes  which  two  men  carried.  Why  did  two  men 
carry  it? 

What  does  that  indicate  about  the  land? 

When  the  spies  came  back  they  were  not  agreed 
in  their  report.    Why  would  that  be  ? 

If  they  brought  the  huge  cluster  of  grapes, 
would  they  agree  about  the  value  of  the  land? 

About  what  then  would  they  disagree? 

They  had  found  the  inhabitants  very  warlike. 


94  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

There  was  a  tall  race  of  men  whom  they  called 
giants.  Ten  of  the  spies  reported  that  it  was  too 
dangerous.  But  Caleb  and  Joshua  had  a  different 
idea.  What  did  they  report?  Bring  Caleb  to  the 
front.  He  had  seen  everything,  but  was  not  afraid. 
To  the  man  of  faith  and  courage  difficulties  grow 
smaller  as  he  thinks  of  them;  to  the  coward  they 
increase. 

Which  of  the  two  reports  would  the  children 
of  Israel  be  likely  to  accept? 

Why  would  they  be  afraid? 

If  they  would  not  go  into  the  land  what  would 
become  of  their  hopes? 

What  future  was  open  to  them? 

Where  could  they  go? 

They  were  willing  to  get  a  new  leader  and  go 
back  to  Egypt  to  be  slaves.  What  do  you  think 
of  that? 

What  do  you  think  the  three  heroes  thought  of 
it?  At  this  point  let  the  students  open  the  books 
and  let  the  advice  of  the  heroes  be  read.  It  will 
be  well  that  some  of  these  fine  passages  be  very 
carefully  noted. 

What  do  you  think  the  Lord  would  have  to  say 
about  the  rebellion? 

Would  he  compel  them  to  go  in? 

Would  he  say,  "If  you  are  not  willing  to  fight 
I  will  give  it  to  you  without  a  struggle"  ? 

Let  the  teacher  develop  the  thought  that  the 
athlete  must  struggle  and  the  scholar  must  work. 
This  is  the  only  way  victory  ever  comes. 


JOSHUA  AND  CALEB  95 

God  had  helped  them  in  Egypt,  had  brought 
them  to  the  land,  had  shown  them  its  wealth :  what 
did  he  expect  of  them?  Let  the  teacher  explain, 
unless  the  students  remember  the  facts,  that  the 
Lord  sentenced  the  people  to  remain  in  the  wilder- 
ness until  that  generation  was  dead.  At  last,  after 
forty  years,  Moses  brought  them  to  the  eastern 
borders  of  Canaan.  Make  clear  by  use  of  the  map 
that  the  approach  is  not  being  made  as  before 
from  the  south,  but  from  the  east,  the  plan  being  to 
cross  the  Jordan  opposite  Jericho.  Let  the  stu- 
dents again  find  Mount  Nebo  upon  the  map  of 
Canaan.  Then  ask  the  question,  "Why  was  it 
necessary  for  Moses  to  give  up  the  leadership?" 
There  is  good  opportunity  for  a  r"^view  here. 

What  did  he  tell  the  people  in  his  last  speech? 

Who  was  ready  to  be  his  successor? 

What  happened  to  Moses? 

Would  the  new  generation  of  young  men, 
trained  in  the  wilderness  under  their  great  leaders, 
be  more  likely  to  conquer  Canaan  than  their 
fathers  who  had  been  slaves? 

When  Joshua  led  the  people  across  the  Jordan 
into  Canaan  what  happened? 

There  were  great  campaigns  and  at  last  the 
land  was  subdued.  We  do  not  go  into  the  details  of 
the  conquest,  except  to  note  that  Joshua  was  strong 
and  very  courageous  and  had  great  success  as  had 
been  promised  him.  After  the  national  campaign 
each  tribe  had  to  make  good  the  conquest  of  its 
own  inheritance.    The  land  was  divided  up  among 


96  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

the  people.    What  part  do  you  think  the  old  hero, 

Caleb,  would  want. 
(        What  do  you  think  of  a  man  who  wants  the 
Hiardest  place? 

Summary 

There  are  always  difficulties  in  the  way  of  great 
achievement.  Every  good  land  has  giants.  Moses 
might  have  said  that  it  was  useless  to  go  alone 
against  the  great  Pharaoh,  Luther  that  he  could 
not  stand  against  the  pope  and  the  emperor,  the 
Pilgrims  that  they  could  not  cross  the  sea  to  the 
wild  land  of  the  dangerous  savages,  Washington 
that  a  few  colonies  could  not  gain  their  independ- 
ence from  the  greatest  of  the  empires.  Brave 
souls  are  always  ready  to  meet  difficulties.  Sug- 
gest to  the  students  that  they  ask  their  parents 
what  difficulties  they  have  been  obliged  to  meet  and 
to  conquer  in  their  lives. 

Written  Review 

It  is  not  desired,  of  course,  to  encourage  the 
students  to  make  a  record  of  their  own  virtues, 
but  if  they  will  make  note  of  the  difficulties  that 
come  up  in  a  single  week,  and  see  how  bravery 
can  overcome  them,  they  will  get  the  meaning  of 
this  fine  story  without  any  danger  of  vanity.  Their 
judgment  upon  Caleb  and  Joshua  will  really  be  a 
self -judgment. 


JOSHUA  AND  CALEB  97 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Joshua  and  Caleb  had  at  least  the  encourage- 
ment of  each  other's  faith  and  of  the  support  of 
Moses  the  great  leader.  Ask  the  students  what 
they  would  think  of  a  leader  who  was  willing  to 
lead  his  people  when  everybody  was  discouraged? 
We  have  the  story  of  such  a  one  in  the  next  lesson. 


XV.     GIDEON,  THE  WARRIOR 

References: 

Tristram,  p.  125. 

Price,  p.  130. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Gideon,"  "Midian- 

ites." 
Biblical  World,  October,  1907,  pp.  266-74,  27^2. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  that  the  hero  is  the  man  whom  God 
can  call  when  all  others  are  discouraged. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
After  the  brilliant  campaigns  of  Joshua,  the 
Canaanites  recovered  largely  from  the  first  shock 
and  made  the  settlement  of  the  Hebrews  exceed- 
ingly difficult.  In  addition  to  that,  the  Hebrews 
lost  their  unity  and  each  tribe  lived  its  own  life. 
They  were  constantly  subject  to  invasions  from 
marauding  bands  who  took  away  the  result  of  all 
their  labors.  One  man  thinking  on  the  unhappy 
state  of  his  people  was  definitely  called  to  be  their 
deliverer.  Wonderful  signs  were  given  him.  He 
gathered  the  people  together,  sent  home  all  that 
were  afraid,  reduced  his  army  to  a  picked  band, 
and  by  stratagem  overthrew  the  enemy.  He  was 
acclaimed  by  all  Israel  as  their  champion. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
The  story  may  be  developed  in  something  like 
the  following  manner: 

98 


GIDEON,  THE  WARRIOR  99 

We  shall  see  how  the  people  became  greatly- 
troubled  in  the  new  land  and  how  one  of  the  war 
heroes  saved  them. 

Why  did  the  Hebrews  want  this  good  land? 

Do  you  know  any  other  people  who  have 
wanted  a  new  land  where  they  could  live  peaceably 
and  worship  God  after  their  own  fashion?  The 
students  will  be  likely  to  see  the  parallel  with  the 
Pilgrims.  What  would  be  one  of  the  first  things 
to  do  after  the  land  was  conquered  ? 

When  they  had  cultivated  their  fields  and  gath- 
ered in  their  crops,  what  would  they  do  with  the 
grain?  These  people  were  not  merchants  so 
they  would  store  it  in  their  granaries. 

How  is  it  that  the  grain  of  our  farmers  is  safe 
when  they  put  it  in  their  granaries? 

Did  the  early  settlers  in  America  always  find 
that  their  grain  was  safe? 

What  are  the  dangers  in  a  country  where  there 
is  no  strong  government? 

In  Palestine  there  were  roving  bands  of  fierce 
warriors  who  never  worked  themselves,  but  lived 
on  what  they  could  steal  from  others.  What  would 
they  be  likely  to  do  to  the  Hebrews? 

Our  story  is  about  a  young  hero  who  was 
greatly  troubled  by  this  condition.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  threshing  his  father's  wheat.  If  you 
look  on  p.  179  you  will  see  a  picture  of  the  way  in 
which  wheat  was  threshed  in  an  open  place.  Why 
would  that  have  been  dangerous  in  this  case? 


lOO  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Gideon  went  into  a  secret  place  to  thresh  his 
wheat.    What  would  he  be  thinking  about? 

Do  you  know  of  any  other  people  who  had  to 
be  careful  because  of  their  enemies?  Be  sure  that 
the  students  make  the  parallel  with  the  colonists 
and  the  Indians. 

Gideon,  the  strong  young  man,  was  thinkmg, 
"Why  do  we  have  to  be  oppressed?  Is  there  no 
way  to  get  out  of  it?"  In  these  old  stories,  how 
is  the  voice  of  conscience  always  expressed? 
Refer  to  Note  E. 

What  would  the  Lord  say  to  Gideon? 

Gideon  was  surprised  that  he  should  be  chosen 
to  be  the  leader.  He  received  some  wonderful 
signs  to  convince  him.  There  is  a  very  interesting 
story  of  the  way  in  which  he  prepared  his  warriors 
for  the  contest.    How  do  we  choose  our  athletes? 

How  would  Gideon  choose  a  small  body  of  men 
whom  he  wanted  for  a  hard  service?  Let  the 
teacher  draw  from  the  students  the  story  of 
Gideon's  visit  to  the  camp,  of  the  dreams,  of  the 
trumpets,  torches,  and  pitchers,  of  the  victory  and 
pursuit. 

After  it  was  all  over  what  reward  did  the 
people  give  him? 

Why  did  he  refuse  to  be  their  king? 

We  find  unfortunately  a  weak  spot  in  this  hero. 
What  did  he  do  with  the  gold  and  silver  that  they 
gave  him? 

How  was  Gideon  a  great  man?  Let  the  stu- 
dents appreciate  his  willingness  to  lead  in  what 
seemed  a  hopeless  endeavor. 


GIDEON,  THE  WARRIOR  lOI 

Were  any  of  the  other  heroes  of  Israel  of  the 
same  spirit  as  Gideon?  This  will  afford  oppor- 
tunity to  recall  Moses  going  before  Pharaoh,  Caleb 
and  Joshua  encouraging  the  people. 

Do  you  know  of  any  other  great  men  in  history 
who  have  been  willing  to  stand  alone  for  a  great 
cause  ? 

Do  you  know  of  any  men  whom  you  have  heard 
of  who  have  been  willing  to  stand  alone?  There 
are  often  local  instances  very  suggestive. 

True  courage  is  shown  when  you  are  ready  to 
do  what  you  know  is  right. 

Many  boys  and  girls  show  the  white  feather 
when  it  comes  to  a  moral  question.  Is  there  any 
way  to  be  a  hero  at  school? 

Written  Review 

Gideon's  courage  is  so  constantly  exemplified 
in  the  simple  heroism  of  boys  and  girls  who  take 
a  stand  against  some  wrong  practice,  or  of  public 
men  who  lead  against  some  abuse,  that  the  students 
may  well  be  encouraged  to  look  for  some  example 
of  it.  It  will  help  them  to  see  in  what  heroism 
consists. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Gideon  led  an  army  against  the  enemy.  What 
would  you  think  of  a  man  who  fought  against 
them  single-handed?  The  Hebrews  had  a  story  of 
one  of  their  heroes  who  did  that.  We  study  about 
him  next  time.  Read  the  story  carefully  and  see 
what  you  think  of  him. 


XVI.    SAMSON,  THE  STRONG  MAN 

References: 

Tristram,  pp.  28-29. 

Price,  pp.  130-31. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Samson,"  "Nazirite," 

"Philistines." 
Biblical  World,  October,  1907,  pp.  283-85. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  show  that  real  strength  is  moral,  not  mus- 
cular only. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

The  Hebrews  continued  to  be  brought  into 
great  distress  by  their  oppressors.  There  appeared 
a  man  of  extraordinary  strength  who  was  able  in 
single  combat  to  destroy  large  numbers  of  the 
enemy.  Great  tales  were  told  of  his  exploits,  and 
so  dear  to  the  people  was  the  memory  of  one  who 
had  inflicted  great  damage  upon  their  enemies  that 
he  became  a  hero  in  their  traditions.  But  he  was 
the  slave  of  his  passions.  He  could  conquer  others, 
but  could  not  conquer  himself.  He  fell  in  love 
with  women  of  the  Philistine  enemies  much  to  his 
own  hurt.  The  last  of  these  women,  utterly  dis- 
loyal at  heart,  betrayed  him  into  the  hands  of  his 
foes.  They  were  delighted  to  bring  him  to  shame 
and  ruin.  At  last  there  came  an  opportunity  for 
a  final  act  of  vengeance,  and  Samson  died  in  a 
common  destruction  with  his  enemies. 


SAMSON.  THE  STRONG  MAN  103 

EXPLANATORY  NOTE 
Note  K.  The  Philistines. — It  would  be  well  to  under- 
stand rather  clearly  about  these  enemies,  for  they  will 
meet  us  in  a  number  of  stories.  They  were  a  vigorous 
people  living  in  the  western  lowland  near  the  sea.  On 
the  map  of  Canaan  there  are  marked  the  two  cities  of 
Gaza  and  Gath.  They  had  a  number  of  other  cities  also. 
They  were  a  warlike  race,  well  organized.  They  were 
probably  not  of  Semitic  origin,  and  perhaps  especially 
for  that  reason  were  opposed  to  the  Hebrews.  They 
inflicted  great  damage  upon  them,  depriving  them  of 
their  wealth,  and  keeping  them  in  pitiful  subjection. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

i6j.  Everyone  is  interested  in  a  strong  man. 
The  students  will  be  able  to  tell  of  the  heroes  of 
other  nations  and  will  probably  know  some  local 
heroes  whose  physical  prowess  has  given  them 
renown. 

164.  The  promised  child. — Simply  call  atten- 
tion to  the  peculiar  practice  of  consecrating  boys 
by  forbidding  them  any  wine,  and  by  refraining 
from  cutting  their  hair. 

j6^.  The  adventure  with  the  lion. — Point  out 
how  unfortunate  it  was  that  Samson  should  wish 
to  marry  a  Philistine  woman.  Let  the  two  visits 
be  briefly  described. 

166.  The  bet  on  the  riddle. — Explain  that  it 
was  expected  that  Samson  should  provide  the  wed- 
ding feast  and  that  it  was  a  custom  for  some 
games  to  be  prepared.     The  riddle  was  intended 


I04  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

to  amuse  the  guests.  It  turned  out,  however,  to  be 
a  tragedy. 

i6j.  The  disloyal  wife. — The  brutality  of  the 
brothers  and  the  disloyalty  of  the  woman  show 
the  misfortune  of  the  marriage. 

i68.  The  foxes. — Let  the  adventure  be  vividly 
described.  Let  the  students  feel  what  a  rude  time 
it  was  for  such  savage  vengeance  to  be  taken. 

i6p.  The  slaughter  of  the  Philistines. — When 
the  students  enjoy  a  story  they  do  not  mind  how 
big  it  is.  It  may  be  well,  however,  to  suggest  that 
the  slaughter  of  the  one  thousand  men  by  one  man 
is  a  sign  of  the  interest  of  the  people  in  their  hero. 

I/O.  The  gates  of  Gaza. — This  may  be  dealt 
with  very  briefly. 

777.  Samson's  zveakness. — The  strong  man  was 
not  really  strong.  The  young  students  will  not 
quite  understand  the  character  of  Samson's  sin, 
and  it  is  better  that  it  should  not  be  too  minutely 
explained.  They  can  see  that  he  was  weak  in 
being  unable  to  resist  the  woman's  entreaties. 

1/2.  Playing  zvith  temptation. — Samson  thought 
that  he  was  strong  enough  to  make  a  jest  of  the 
matter.  No  man  is  strong  enough  to  play  with 
temptation. 

77J.  The  hero  vanquished. — The  students  will 
readily  see  the  sad  meaning  of  this  section. 

1/4.  The  last  victory. — Let  there  be  vivid  de- 
scription of  the  crowd  of  eager  Philistines  desiring 
to  make  fun  of  their  blind  slave.  But  Samson  had 
grown  serious.     He  had  turned  to  the  Lord   for 


SAMSON,  THE  STRONG  MAN  105 

help.  The  growth  of  his  hair  was  a  sign  of  the 
coming  back  of  his  strength.  His  last  victory  was 
the  greatest  of  his  life,  yet  it  was  a  sad  one  after 
all. 

I'j^.  The  question  of  greatness. — Let  the  class 
discuss  this  freely. 

Summary 

History  is  full  of  the  stories  of  strong  men 
who  could  not  conquer  themselves.  The  students 
may  be  able  to  supply  many  instances :  conquerors 
like  Alexander,  men  of  genius  like  Edgar  Allen 
Poe,  and  athletes  whom  they  have  known.  We 
ought  to  be  able  from  these  to  get  a  real  notion  of 
what  moral  strength  is. 

Written  Review 

The  debate  had  better  be  held  at  an  extra 
meeting  of  the  class.  It  would  ofifer  a  good  oppor- 
tunity for  a  social  evening.  Or  perhaps,  if  the 
class  is  well  up  with  its  work,  a  regular  meeting 
could  be  used  for  it.  Let  the  class  be  divided  into 
two  parts  for  the  opposite  sides  of  the  question. 
Urge  them  to  read  over  the  story  carefully  and 
pick  out  every  point  for  or  against  Samson  as  a 
hero.  The  teacher  in  summing  up  the  debate  may 
point  out  that  he  is  entitled  to  be  regarded  as  a 
popular  hero  because  of  the  interest  in  his  exploits, 
but  that  he  was  not  a  great  man.  True  greatness 
is  not  physical  but  moral. 


lo6  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Ask  the  class  what  is  a  real  heroine.  Ask  them 
to  name  some  heroines.  Explain  that  we  have  so 
far  studied  only  the  men  of  Israel.  Our  next  lesson 
will  be  concerned  with  a  woman  whom  the  Israel- 
ites held  in  high  honor. 


A  HEROINE 

XVII.    Ruth,  the  Foreigner 


XVII.    RUTH,  THE  FOREIGNER 

References: 

Tristram,  pp.  120-26,  223-25. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Marriage"  (4.  Levi- 
rate  Marriage),  "Agriculture"    (§3),  "Gleaning." 
Biblical  World,  November,  1907,  pp.  361-63. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  show  the  heroism  of  loyalty  in  simple  family 
duty. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

A  Hebrew  under  necessity  took  his  family  to 
Moab.  There  his  sons  married  foreigners.  The 
three  men  died  and  the  three  widows  were  left. 
There  was  such  a  tender  love  between  the  mother- 
in-law  and  the  daughters-in-law  that  the  younger 
women  wanted  to  go  back  to  the  home  in  Israel. 
One  of  them  was  persuaded  to  remain  with  her 
people,  but  the  other,  devoted  to  her  mother-in- 
law,  returned  with  her.  The  love  between  these 
two  women  developed  itself  in  mutual  kindness 
and  consideration,  and  ended  in  a  happy  prosperity. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
Occasionally  for  variety  the  story  may  be  told 
to  the  class  by  the  teacher.  It  is  a  good  exercise 
for  the  teacher  in  picturesque  narration  and  may 
show  the  class  the  beauty  and  power  of  these 
stories  as  they  may  not  realize  it  by  their  reading. 
109 


no  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

The  story  of  Ruth  is  a  particularly  good  one  for 
this  purpose.  Announce  that  you  are  going  to  tell 
the  story  and  that  if  you  leave  out  any  point  the 
students  are  to  supply  it,  or  if  there  is  anything 
they  do  not  understand  they  are  to  ask  about  it. 

In  your  preparation,  study  the  lesson  with  great 
care  from  the  student's  book,  where  most  of  the 
necessary  explanations  are  given.  Look  up  any 
points  that  are  obscure  in  the  Dictionary  of  the 
Bible.  Practice  giving  a  vivid  description  so  that 
you  can  tell  the  story  with  interest  and  dramatic 
movement  without  looking  at  the  book. 

Notice  that  the  story  has  six  divisions :  an  intro- 
duction, four  principal  parts,  and  a  conclusion. 
By  fixing  these  clearly  in  mind  you  will  be  able  to 
tell  the  story  effectively. 

Introduction:  (§  55)  The  catastrophe. — Briefly 
present  the  facts  of  the  accumulated  calamity. 

Part  I:  (§5^)  On  the  road  from  Moab. — The 
first  scene  of  the  story  is  on  the  road  from  Moab 
when  the  mother-in-law  is  seeking  to  send  her  two 
daughters-in-law  back  to  their  homes.  There  was 
only  one  prospect  for  women  in  those  days,  and 
that  was  marriage ;  so  she  thought  it  best  for  them 
to  return.  Orpah  agreed,  but  Ruth  would  not 
leave  Naomi.  If  you  cannot  give  it  from  memory, 
read  impressively  to  the  class  the  beautiful  speech 
of  Ruth. 

The  arrival  in  Bethlehem  was  an  event  for  the 
village.  Bring  out  the  changed  appearance  of  the 
woman,  who  had  been  away  ten  years  and  had 


RUTH,  THE  FOREIGNER  m 

suffered  great  sorrow.     Show  that  the  two  women 
found  a  simple  lodging  in  their  new  home. 

Part  II:  (§55)  ^"  the  barley  field. — Describe 
vividly  the  field  of  grain,  the  women  cutting  it  with 
their  sickles,  the  men  gathering  it  in  sheaves,  the 
gleaners  darting  here  and  there  for  a  stray  stalk. 
Tell  of  the  arrival  of  Boaz,  his  kindly  courtesy  to 
Ruth,  the  unexpected  generosity  of  his  invitation 
to  the  luncheon,  and  his  plan  for  Ruth's  success  as 
a  gleaner. 

Blessed  is  a  little  where  love  is,  and  these  two 
women  were  happy  in  humble  prosperity. 

Part  III:  (§5d)  At  the  threshing-floor.— With 
the  aid  of  the  picture  describe  carefully  the  method 
of  threshing.  It  was  followed  by  a  harvest  feast. 
Show  that  Naomi's  plan  was  to  give  Boaz  an  op- 
portunity of  deciding  privately  whether  he  wished 
to  act  the  kinsman's  part  for  Ruth.  His  apprecia- 
tion of  her  conduct  shows  the  propriety  of  her 
course. 

Part  IV:  (§57^)  At  the  city  gate. — See  Note 
T  for  a  discussion  of  the  transaction  of  business 
at  the  city  gate.  This  would  be  the  place  where 
Boaz  would  wait,  knowing  that  the  other  kinsman 
would  pass  by.  Describe  with  interest  and  vivacity 
the  meeting  of  the  two  men,  the  appointment  of 
the  witnesses,  the  legal  transaction,  the  passing  of 
the  shoe,  the  agreement  of  the  marriage  for  Ruth, 
and  the  congratulations  of  the  people. 

Conclusion:  {%57B)  The  happy  marriage. — A 
love  story  always  ends  with  a  birthday.    The  people 


112  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

conj^ratulated  Naomi  because  she  was  not  to  be 
left  without  one  who  should  be  known  as  the  de- 
scendant of  her  dead  husband.  Because  this  son 
that  was  born  was  the  grandfather  of  the  great 
David,  the  name  of  Ruth  was  ever  remembered  in 
Israel. 

Summary 

Ruth  was  written  among  the  heroes  because  she 
became  the  ancestress  of  the  line  of  David,  but  her 
real  heroism  was  in  her  sacrifice  of  the  opportuni- 
ties of  her  own  land  that  she  might  stay  with  the 
lonely  Naomi  and  make  her  happy.  There  was  a 
young  woman  whose  mother  died  leaving  a  large 
family.  A  wealthy  aunt  offered  to  take  the  girl, 
give  her  a  college  education,  and  send  her  abroad; 
but  she  felt  it  her  duty  to  stay  at  home  and  care 
for  her  father  and  the  little  brothers  and  sisters. 
Few  know  her  by  name,  but  she  was  a  heroine. 
Ruth  did  her  simple  duty  and  became  greatly 
honored.  Nobody  can  choose  to  be  great,  but  we 
can  all  choose  to  be  faithful. 

Written  Review 

The  preceding  will  be  a  natural  preparation  for 
suggestion  upon  the  review.  Encourage  the  stu- 
dents to  find  out  about  some  such  beautiful  life  of 
love.  They  can  surely  do  so,  for  there  are  such 
noble  women  all  about  us.  Inspire  them  to  write 
the  little  story. 


RUTH,  THE  FOREIGNER  I13  ■ 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

We  have  studied  about  a  woman  who  became  a 
heroine.  Our  next  lesson  is  concerned  with  a  boy, 
just  the  age  of  the  students  of  this  class.  Suggest 
that  we  shall  want  to  see  how  he  found  a  place  as 
one  of  the  heroes. 


THE  FOUNDERS  OF  THE  KINGDOM 

XVin.    Samuel  and  Eli 
XIX.    Samuel  and  Saul 
XX.    Jonathan's  Victory 


XVIII.     SAMUEL  AND  ELI 

References: 

Tristram,  pp.  163-64,  182-85. 

Dictionary    of    the    Bible,    articles    "Samuel,"    "Eli," 

"Ark,"  "Hophni  and  Phinehas." 
Biblical  World,  November,  1907,  pp.  363-66. 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  show  the  contrast  afforded  by  the  weakness 
of  Eli,  the  wickedness  of  his  sons,  and  the  faith- 
fulness of  Samuel  who  heard  the  call  of  God. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
In  the  unsettled  condition  before  the  kingdom 
was  established  the  priests  were  the  principal 
officials,  the  oldest  being  at  their  head.  Eli  was  an 
earnest  and  devoted  man,  but  his  sons  who  were 
associated  with  him  in  the  office  were  tyrannical 
and  profligate.  A  mother  who  had  despaired  of 
having  children  was  rejoiced  by  the  birth  of  a  son. 
She  dedicated  him  to  the  service  of  the  Lord  and 
brought  him  to  be  trained  by  Eli.  The  boy  had  the 
advantage  of  the  religious  instruction  of  the  good 
old  priest.  Although  nobody  realized  it,  he  was 
really  being  prepared  to  be  Eli's  successor  in  the 
office  of  judge.  A  wonderful  call  came  to  him  in 
his  early  boyhood,  revealing  to  him  the  doom  of 
Eli's  house.  The  old  man  learned  of  it  and  humbly 
submitted.  The  punishment  soon  came  in  the 
defeat  of  Israel  by  the  Philistines,  the  loss  of  the 
117 


Il8  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

sacred  ark,  and  the  death  of  the  old  priest.  So  a 
good  man  made  a  failure  through  weakness,  but 
Samuel  was  being  prepared  for  leadership. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  L.  The  priests. — The  priesthood  at  this  early 
time  was  not  as  elaborate  as  it  became  in  later  years.  It 
was,  however,  a  very  important  office.  The  people  were 
required  to  offer  sacrifices  in  connection  with  many  great 
events,  but  this  could  only  be  done  with  the  help  of  the 
priests.  The  office  was  hereditary,  so  that  men  became 
priests  without  necessarily  any  realization  of  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  high  calling.  Their  remuneration  was  a 
system  of  fees  largely  composed  of  certain  parts  of  the 
sacrifice.  In  the  case  of  men  who  regarded  the  office  as 
a  mere  profession  there  was  very  often  gross  misconduct. 

Note  M.  The  ark. — The  people  of  Israel  attached 
great  importance  to  a  sacred  box  in  which  they  kept 
various  holy  things.  A  copy  of  the  law  was  put  into  it. 
It  was  kept  in  the  temple  in  the  most  holy  place.  It  was 
regarded  as  a  symbol  of  the  presence  of  God.  It  had 
been  carried  before  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilder- 
ness and  the  exultant  cry  that  was  raised  when  the  ark 
was  lifted  on  the  shoulders  of  the  priests  is  recorded  for 
us  in  Ps.  68 : 1.  It  was  natural,  therefore,  that  it  should 
be  carried  into  battle  at  the  head  of  the  army. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

Announce  to  the  class  that  we  are  going  to  see 
how  a  boy,  who  became  one  of  the  greatest  of  the 
heroes,  heard  the  call  of  God.  Several  of  the 
heroes  of  whom  we  have  already  studied  heard  a 


SAMUEL  AND  ELI  1 19 

wonderful  call.  Ask  who  remembers  the  call  of 
Abraham,  of  Moses,  of  Gideon.  We  shall  see  first 
how  the  boy  was  born. 

ipo.  Hannah's  prayer. — The  important  point  is 
the  longing  of  the  woman  for  a  child. 

ipi.  Eli's  encouragement. — Bring  out  the  facts 
briefly.     Show  the  kindness  of  the  old  priest. 

ip2.  The  promised  child. — By  questions  bring 
out  the  similarity  of  the  birth  and  dedication  of 
Samson.  But  explain  that  Samuel  was  to  be  a 
very  different  hero.  Ask  how  a  mother  could  give 
her  child  to  the  Lord.  Let  the  students  see  that 
while  the  mother  can  dedicate,  he  must  give  him- 
self when  he  grows  older.  Tell  them  that  we 
shall  see  how  Samuel  gave  himself. 

jpj.  The  wicked  priests. — Study  the  matter 
carefully  until  you  understand  what  the  priests 
actually  did.  Explain  to  the  class  their  tyrannical 
conduct. 

ip4.  Eli's  weakness. — The  good  old  man  was 
troubled,  but  he  took  no  serious  measures.  He  had 
the  authority  to  remove  his  sons  from  office  and 
he  should  have  done  so,  but  he  did  not  like  to  do 
anything  harsh.  Of  course  he  had  been  too  indul- 
gent when  they  were  children.  Ask  the  students 
if  it  is  not  a  good  thing  to  have  parents  who  kindly 
but  firmly  insist  on  our  doing  right. 

7p5.  The  growth  of  Samuel. — Show  that  the 
boy  was  growing  up,  learning  his  duties,  enjoying 
the  instruction  of  the  old  priest,  and  keeping  happily 
in  touch  with  his  parents.    Ask  the  class  what  kind 


120  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

of  a  boy  he  was.  Note  that  the  words  used  of  him 
are  very  similar  to  those  in  Luke  2 :  52. 

ip6.  Samuel's  knowledge  of  the  Lord. — If 
great  care  is  exercised  by  the  teacher  at  this  point 
a  profound  spiritual  impression  may  be  made. 
The  age  of  the  students  is  just  that  at  which  the 
first  simple  religious  awakening  is  likely  to  come. 
Note  that  "Samuel  did  not  yet  know  the  Lord." 
He  had  of  course  been  religiously  instructed,  as 
our  children  have  been,  but  he  had  not  come  into 
the  time  of  definite  religious  realization.  He  was 
to  have  a  new  sense  that  God  wanted  him  to  be  his 
servant.  Let  the  students  see  that,  while  the 
dreams  of  Joseph,  the  call  of  Samuel,  the  voices 
of  Joan  of  Arc  seem  peculiar,  they  are  really  the 
same  as  God's  voice  to  us.  If  the  boys  and  girls 
will  listen  they  will  hear  such  calls  in  their  own 
hearts.    Draw  them  out  carefully  on  this  subject. 

ipy.  The  doom  of  Eli's  house. — Samuel  had 
seen  the  evil  conduct  of  the  priests  and  now  he 
was  to  understand  that  punishment  was  to  come. 
Perhaps  the  young  boy  could  see  that  Eli  was  really 
responsible. 

ip8.  Eli's  submission. — The  poor  old  man  was 
submissive  to  the  will  of  God,  but  he  would  have 
shown  a  better  loyalty  if  he  had  purified  the  sacred 
offices.  Let  the  students  see  that  it  is  not  enough 
to  mean  well.    One  must  be  strong  and  effective. 

ipg.  The  Philistines. — These  are  the  same 
enemies  whom  Samson  fought.  See  Note  K.  God 
would  not  help  Israel  just  because  the  ark    was 


SAMUEL  AND  ELI  121 

there.  He  can  only  be  with  those  who  are  doing 
right.  It  was  mockery  for  the  wicked  priests  to 
carry  it. 

200.  The  catastrophe. — This  story  is  very  vigor- 
ous. Let  the  students  bring  out  the  points.  The 
Philistines  really  made  a  fine  speech.  Let  it  be 
read  with  spirit  in  the  class.  But  God  was  not 
with  the  Hebrews,  and  the  day  was  lost. 

201.  Eli's  hitter  grief. — Let  the  student  feel 
the  pathos  of  the  old  man,  nearly  one  hundred 
years  of  age,  waiting  for  the  news;  his  intense 
anxiety  for  the  ark  that  had  been  his  sacred  trust 
all  his  life;  the  tragic  end.  Draw  out  from  the 
students  their  opinion  of  Eli.  Ask  them  what  hope 
there  is  for  Israel  when  its  leaders  are  thus  dead. 
Let  them  see  that  the  young  man  full  of  strength 
and  courage  is  growing  up. 

Summary 
God  needs  strong  men  to  do  his  work.  The 
world  is  full  of  well-disposed  people  who  are  not 
strong  and  effective.  The  great  tasks  can  never 
be  done  by  men  like  Eli.  They  can  only  weep  over 
the  sins  of  the  world.  The  hope  of  the  future  is 
in  the  Samuels,  youths  who  have  heard  the  call  of 
God  and  who  are  getting  ready  to  do  great  deeds. 
The  boys  and  girls  ought  to  feel  the  longing  to  do 
a  great  work  in  the  world,  and  they  ought  to  feel 
that  it  can  only  be  done  in  obedience  to  the  Lord. 
It  will  be  well  to  draw  from  the  class  other 
examples  in  history  of  those  who  have  prepared 
themselves  like  Samuel  for  their  task. 


122  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Written  Review 

This  lesson  may  offer  a  good  opportunity  for 
the  teacher  to  approach  a  little  closer  to  the  matter 
of  personal  religion.  The  students  will  be  able  to 
see  that  Samuel  was  ready  for  a  larger  responsi- 
bility at  just  about  their  age.  Whatever  may  be 
the  custom  of  the  church — confirmation,  or  recep- 
tion, or  baptism — may  be  talked  of  in  a  perfectly 
natural  way,  and  the  students  urged  to  think  of  it 
and  to  write  their  thoughts. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

In  the  next  lesson  we  are  going  to  see  how  the 
boy  who  gave  himself  to  God  became  a  noble  man, 
and  was  the  means  of  choosing  the  king  to  save 
Israel. 


XIX.     SAMUEL  AND  SAUL 

References: 

Tristram,  pp.  33-35. 

Dictionary    of   the  Bible,   articles    "Samuel,"    "Saul," 
"Anointing." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  how  Samuel  was  willing  to  give  up  his 
high  office  and  how  the  Lord  prepared  Saul  to  hear 
his  summons  to  the  kingship. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
Samuel  served  during  a  long  life  as  a  judge  in 
Israel.  He  did  his  best  to  meet  all  the  needs  of 
the  nation,  but  he  finally  realized  that  a  different 
kind  of  man  was  needed.  He  had  never  been  able 
to  subdue  the  Philistines,  and  Israel  was  greatly 
troubled  by  these  enemies.  It  was  evident  to 
Samuel  that  the  people  must  be  united  into  one 
nation  and  that  a  king  should  be  chosen  for  that 
purpose.  Israel  had  up  to  this  time  had  no  formal 
government,  each  tribe  looking  out  for  itself,  and 
had  not  been  ready  for  the  central  authority  of 
the  kingship,  but  Samuel  determined  that  the  time 
had  come  for  this  development.  His  fellowship 
with  God  lead  him  to  find  the  king.  One  day  at 
a  great  feast  a  tall,  noble  man  from  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin  called  upon  Samuel  to  seek  his  help  in 
the  simple  matter  of  finding  some  asses  that  had 
strayed.  Samuel  knew  that  this  was  the  man  for 
123 


124  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

the  high  office.  He  brought  him  to  the  feast,  put 
him  in  the  place  of  honor,  and  talked  with  him 
earnestly  that  night  of  the  need  of  the  nation.  The 
next  day  he  solemnly  anointed  him,  gave  him  assur- 
ances that  he  was  the  man  chosen  of  God,  and 
bade  him  go  home  and  wait  until  some  opportunity 
should  arise  for  him  to  take  the  leadership.  The 
opportunity  soon  came.  The  Ammonites,  enemies 
on  the  eastern  border,  besieged  the  town  of  Jabesh- 
Gilead  which  belonged  to  Israel.  The  people  sent 
to  their  countrymen  for  help.  There  seemed  no 
way  for  the  scattered  Israelites  to  unite  in  such  an 
undertaking,  but  Saul  heard  the  message,  issued 
his  heroic  summons  to  all  the  tribes,  gathered  an 
army,  and  smote  the  Ammonites  with  great  slaugh- 
ter. He  was  the  warrior  that  was  needed  to  save 
Israel  and  was  triumphantly  crowned  as  king. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

It  may  be  well  to  proceed  from  the  students' 
knowledge  of  the  need  of  union  on  the  part  of  the 
American  colonies,  and  the  need  of  a  military  leader 
for  the  Revolutionary  War,  to  a  consideration  of 
Israel's  similar  condition.  Ask  them  why  Eli,  the 
priest,  was  not  able  to  do  what  Israel  needed.  They 
will  see  that  more  than  a  priest  was  necessary. 
Then  explain  that  Samuel  had  grown  up  and  had 
been  a  most  useful  leader,  and  teacher,  and  judge. 
Ask  why  he  had  not  been  able  to  accomplish  the 
liberation  of  the  people  from  their  enemies.    They 


SAMUEL  AND  SAUL  125 

will  see  that  more  energetic  measures  were  needed 
than  Samuel  was  able  to  undertake.  Then  ask  if 
a  man  like  Samuel,  who  had  held  the  leadership  of 
the  nation,  so  far  as  there  was  any  leadership, 
would  be  likely  to  be  willing  to  give  it  up  to  a 
younger  and  more  vigorous  man.  Let  them  see 
what  sacrifice  and  patriotism  would  be  required  for 
such  an  act.  Then  tell  them  that  we  are  going  to 
see  how  the  grand  old  man  gladly  gave  up  his 
office,  and  how  a  noble  man  was  chosen  to  be  king. 

202.  The  search  for  the  donkeys. — The  intro- 
duction of  Saul  is  very  interesting.  It  is  a  part  of 
the  beauty  of  the  story  that  the  man  who  was  to 
be  king  comes  before  us  in  so  simple  a  fashion. 
He  is  from  the  smallest  of  the  tribes,  but  we  are 
told  at  once  of  his  splendid  figure,  head  and 
shoulders  over  common  men.  Interest  is  immedi- 
ately excited  as  to  what  will  happen. 

20s.  The  plan  for  finding  the  donkeys. — Saul 
wisely  gave  up  the  search  which  had  become  use- 
less, but  the  servant  knew  about  Samuel.  On  such 
slight  circumstances  great  events  turn.  It  is  not 
considered  propriety  in  the  East  to  approach  a 
great  man  without  a  present.  Let  the  students  tell 
the  story  rapidly. 

204.  The  visit  to  the  seer. — Full  explanations 
are  given  in  the  student's  book.  The  questions 
there  asked  can  be  answered  from  the  story. 

20^.  Samuel's  choice. — We  are  not  told  much 
of  what  Samuel  was  planning.  It  is  evident  that 
he  had  been  thinking  about  the  needs  of  his  people 


126  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

and  determined  that  they  must  have  a  king.  He 
had  received  a  divine  intimation  that  the  prayer 
for  a  right  man  was  to  be  answered.  Imagine  his 
exultation  when  he  saw  the  splendid  figure  of  this 
Benjamite. 

206.  Samuel's  invitation. — Encourage  the  stu- 
dents to  describe  vividly  the  meeting.  Note  that 
Saul  was  a  very  modest  man.  He  realizes  that  he 
belongs  to  a  small  tribe  and  to  an  unimportant 
family  in  the  tribe.  He  cannot  understand  Samuel's 
significant  hint  of  greatness. 

20/.  The  chief  place  for  Saul. — Note  that  this 
modest  man  is  to  be  more  surprised  at  the  unex- 
pected honor  done  him.  He  comes  into  the  town  a 
stranger  and  finds  himself  in  the  chief  place  of  the 
feast. 

208.  The  great  conference. — Draw  a  picture 
for  the  students  of  the  ordinary  flat-roofed  house 
of  the  Orient.  Help  them  to  imagine  the  two  men 
talking  far  into  the  night  on  the  great  future  of 
Israel.  The  old  man  was  trying  to  inspire  the 
younger  with  his  vision  of  what  a  united  Israel 
might  become.  Note  that  in  the  case  of  Abraham, 
and  Moses,  and  Gideon,  and  Samuel,  we  have  had 
the  story  of  a  divine  call — a  mysterious  voice.  Saul 
was  being  prepared  for  his  great  mission  in  the 
way  that  is  more  easily  understood  by  us — a  wise 
friend  is  advising. 

20p.  The  anointing. — Make  much  of  this  dra- 
matic event.  There  had  never  been  a  king  of 
Israel.     Anointing  was  a  common  form  of  setting 


SAMUEL  AND  SAUL  127 

a  man  apart  for  a  great  office,  so  Samuel  used  the 
same  form  for  the  future  king, 

210.  The  last  solemn  word. — Pass  rapidly  over 
the  signs.  They  are  not  important.  The  last  word 
that  Samuel  spoke  was  full  of  significance.  He 
could  not  tell  Saul  when  the  office  of  the  kingship 
should  begin.  He  told  him  to  wait  until  something 
striking  occurred. 

211.  Saul  waiting. — Let  the  events  be  rapidly 
narrated.  The  important  point  is  that  Saul 
modestly  concealed  what  had  been  said  to  him  and 
quietly  awaited  the  development  of  events. 

212.  The  terrible  news. — Saul  did  not  have  long 
to  wait.  Bring  out  very  clearly  with  the  aid  of  the 
map  the  sad  condition  of  the  people  of  Jabesh- 
Gilead  and  the  weakness  of  the  Israelites,  which  is 
shown  by  the  willingness  of  the  king  of  Ammon 
to  allow  them  to  be  summoned  to  the  rescue.  He 
did  not  know  that  a  hero  was  waiting  for  some 
great  call. 

21^.  The  hero's  decision. — When  Saul  heard 
that  his  people  were  in  such  dire  straits  did  that 
constitute  a  call?  Let  the  students  see  that  this 
was  just  as  divine  as  the  call  that  came  to  Gideon. 
Bring  out  vigorously  the  facts  of  the  story. 

214.  The  king  of  Israel. — All  that  Samuel  had 
hoped  for  was  accomplished.  The  people  gladly 
crowned  the  victor  as  their  king.  It  all  seemed 
like  a  perfectly  natural  choice,  but  God's  provi- 
dence was  in  the  whole  affair. 


128  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Summary 

We  have  two  heroes  in  this  story — the  great 
man  who  was  wilHng  to  let  another  succeed  him, 
and  the  younger  man  who  was  wilHng  to  accept  a 
great  responsibility.  We  see  the  way  in  which 
God  leads  men  if  they  are  only  willing  to  hear  his 
voice.  We  see  how  humble  duty — Saul's  work  for 
many  years  on  his  father's  farm — may  be  a  prepa- 
ration for  a  great  task.  Let  the  class  tell  of  other 
instances  of  simple,  faithful  men  who  have  been 
called  to  great  positions. 

Written  Review 

Point  out  to  the  students  that  we  have  two 
different  men  in  the  lesson  showing  different  noble 
qualities.  Urge  them  to  think  over  the  differences 
and  to  decide  which  they  admire  the  more,  and  to 
write  carefully  the  answer. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

While  the  Ammonites  were  the  enemies  that 
called  forth  Saul's  first  heroism  we  are  very  sure 
that  the  old  enemies  on  the  west  coast  will  soon  be 
heard  from.  The  question  is  whether  Saul  is  a 
great  enough  man  to  unite  his  people  in  the  con- 
quest of  these  old  foes.  We  shall  see  what  hap- 
pened in  the  next  story. 


XX.    JONATHAN'S  VICTORY 

References: 

Stewart,  pp.  101-2. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Jonathan,"  "Saul." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  show  how  a  splendid  act  of  courage  brought 
a  great  victory. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

We  see  more  clearly  than  ever  before  the  power 
of  the  Philistines,  fierce  enemies  of  Israel.  They 
had  taken  possession  of  strong  places  all  through 
the  land.  Saul  after  two  years  determined  to 
strike  a  blow  against  these  enemies  and  dislodge 
them  from  one  of  their  garrisons.  The  Philistines 
came  with  a  great  force  to  punish  him.  There 
was  no  opportunity  to  unite  the  Hebrews,  who 
fled  to  various  places  of  refuge  from  the  danger- 
ous assailants.  Saul  remained  with  a  very  small 
force  intrenched  on  the  hills.  The  enemy  had 
taken  a  position  opposite  to  Saul  upon  a  neigh- 
boring hill.  We  are  introduced  to  Saul's  gallant 
son,  Jonathan.  He  determined  to  strike  a  blow 
single-handed.  He  saw  that  it  was  only  by  some 
act  of  peculiar  boldness  that  anything  could  be  ac- 
complished. He  succeeded  in  striking  terror  into 
the  enemy  so  that  Saul's  force  was  able  to  come 
and  complete  their  discomfiture.  The  king  in  his 
enthusiasm  over  the  victory  made  an  unfortunate 
vow  that  no  one  should  taste  food  until  the  evening. 
129 


I30  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Jonathan,  in  ignorance  of  the  vow,  broke  it.  Ac- 
cording to  the  reHgious  custom  of  the  time  he 
ought  to  have  been  put  to  death,  but  popular  enthu- 
siasm triumphed  over  the  custom  and  Jonathan 
was  saved. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

215.  Ask  the  students  whether  they  realize 
what  a  happy  and  safe  time  we  live  in.  Suppose 
an  army  should  enter  our  city  and  strip  us  of 
everything  that  we  possess.  Suppose  the  enemy 
should  take  possession  of  our  principal  towns  and 
keep  us  all  in  subjection.  We  should  feel  terribly 
humiliated  and  discouraged.  How  highly  we 
should  esteem  a  warrior  who  could  save  us.  Such 
was  the  condition  of  Israel. 

216,  The  Philistine  invasion. — Make  clear  the 
facts  that  Saul  had  provoked  the  invasion  and  that 
the  enemy  had  come  to  sweep  away  the  new  king- 
dom. Bring  out  strongly  the  overwhelming  force 
of  the  Philistines  and  the  small  number  of  Saul's 
army. 

21'/.  Jonathan's  hold  plan. — If  the  students  do 
not  know  the  story  of  Hobson's  sinking  the  "'Mer- 
rimac,"  tell  them  the  facts  as  a  good  illustration 
of  Jonathan's  deed.  Show  that  it  was  clear  to 
Jonathan  that  nothing  could  be  gained  in  open 
battle,  so  he  risked  his  life  on  the  chance  of 
frightening  the  enemy. 

218.  Jonathan's  attack. — The  facts  seem  to  be 
clear.    Of  course  the  Philistines  had  no  thought 


JONATHAN'S  VICTORY  131 

that   there   were   only   two   men   climbing   up  the 
crag.    They  expected  to  be  assailed  by  an  army. 

219.  The  general  battle. — Let  the  students  see 
clearly  that  Saul's  watchman  discovered  an  un- 
usual movement  among  the  Philistines.  Saul  found 
that  Jonathan  was  missing.  He  recognized  what 
had  happened.  Meanwhile  the  attack  of  the 
Hebrew  heroes,  a  contagious  fear  among  the  Phili- 
tines,  and  some  earthquake  disturbances  that  oc- 
curred at  the  moment,  threw  the  whole  Philistine 
camp  into  confusion. 

220.  The  vow. — Explain  that  Saul  thought  he 
was  paying  God  honor  by  making  the  vow,  and  the 
people  realized  they  must  keep  it.  Jonathan  would 
not  have  broken  it  if  he  had  known,  but  he  saw 
clearly  when  the  people  told  him  that  the  vow  was 
a  mistake. 

221.  The  altar. — Again  we  have  an  old  religious 
custom,  which,  however,  has  come  down  to  the 
present  day.  The  Jews  are  greatly  horrified  at  the 
way  in  which  we  eat  meat  without  draining  out 
the  blood. 

222.  The  casting  of  the  lot. — This  was  still  an- 
other religious  custom.  They  believed  that  God 
would  point  out  a  guilty  man  by  the  lot.  Saul 
throughout  the  whole  proceeding  was  following 
religious  duty  as  he  saw  it.  Students  sometimes 
think  that  Jonathan  was  cowardly  not  to  confess 
at  once.  But  it  was  not  clear  that  the  trouble  had 
arisen  from  the  broken  vow.  Some  other  man 
might  have  done  some  wrong.     It  was  only  when 


132  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

the  lot  fell  on  Jonathan  that  he  knew  what  was  the 
matter. 

22^.  Jonathan's  danger. — We  admire  the  young 
hero  when  we  see  how  willingly  he  met  the  charge 
for  which  he  was  not  responsible. 

224.  The  change  of  the  old  custom. — Saul  was 
still  only  following  duty  when  he  was  ready  to  slay 
his  son.  But  this  was  a  case  where  the  people 
were  able  to  see  that  an  old  custom  was  wrong. 
Recall  to  the  students  how  Abraham  learned  that 
the  custom  of  human  sacrifice  was  displeasing  to 
God.  So  many  old  customs  that  we  should  think 
very  wrong  today  have  gradually  been  displaced 
as  we  have  advanced  in  knowledge. 

Siurunary 
The  story  is  a  very  simple  one.  It  shows  us 
Jonathan's  valor  and  his  willingness  to  bear  his 
penalty.  It  shows  Saul's  endeavor  to  do  right  as 
he  understood  the  right.  And  it  shows  the  triumph 
of  popular  feeling  over  a  wrong  custom.  It  makes 
us  glad  that  we  live  in  this  good  day. 

Written  Review 
The  letter  of  the  armor-bearer  may  be  made 
very  effective.    The  students  can  readily  be  led  to 
enter  into  the  dramatic  representation. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
We  have  come  to  admire  Jonathan.  We  won- 
der what  he  would  do  if  a  hero  should  arise  who 
could  accomplish  more  than  he.  Would  he  be 
magnanimous?  We  shall  see  what  happened  in 
such  a  case  in  the  next  story. 


DAVID 

XXI.  David  and  the  Giant 

XXII.  The  Hero  Friends,  David  and  Jonathan 

XXIII.  David,  the  Outlaw 

XXIV.  David,  the  King 

XXV.    David  and  His  Rebel  Son 


XXI.    DAVID  AND  THE  GIANT 

References: 

Tristram,  pp.  109-18,  187. 
Price,  pp.  132-33. 

Dictionary     of     the    Bible,    articles     "David"     (§  i), 
"Samuel,"  "Goliath,"  "Armor"    (arms,  §1). 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  how  the  qualities  of  modesty,  courage, 
skill,  and  faith  fitted  David  to  be  a  hero. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
Without  going  into  the  details  of  the  failure 
of  Saul  it  is  sufficient  for  our  purpose  to  realize 
that  he  was  a  warrior  but  not  a  statesman.  He 
could  unite  Israel  in  a  brief  campaign  but  not  as  a 
nation.  His  rude,  jealous  spirit  caused  him  to 
quarrel  with  Samuel.  It  became  evident  that  he 
was  not  the  man  who  could  save  Israel.  Samuel 
is  led  to  find  a  new  king  among  the  sons  of  Jesse, 
a  farmer  of  Bethlehem.  They  were  called  before 
him.  The  first  had  something  of  the  fine  appear- 
ance of  Saul  himself,  but  the  prophet  felt  that  he 
must  look  for  nobler  qualities.  The  story  is  very 
dramatically  told  as,  at  last,  David  the  youth  is 
unexpectedly  chosen.  Evidently  Samuel,  keen 
judge  of  human  nature,  saw  in  David  the  qualities 
of  the  future  king.  The  old  Philistine  enemies  had 
never  been  subdued.  They  renewed  their  war  with 
Israel,  and  put  forth  a  gigantic  champion  who 
135 


13^  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

challenged  any  Israelite  to  single  combat.  The 
challenge  gave  David  just  the  opportunity  needed 
for  his  entrance  upon  a  public  career.  It  is  extra- 
ordinary that  a  stripling  should  undertake  what  no 
warrior  of  the  army  dared.  It  is  a  picture  of 
youth's  splendid  courage.  The  young  man  of  faith 
believes  that  what  ought  to  be  done  can  be  done. 
God  has  blessed  him  in  the  past,  so  he  feels  confi- 
dent of  divine  help  in  the  great  trial.  The  story 
of  the  duel  is  a  tale  of  adventure  that  every  boy 
and  girl  would  love.  The  boasting  giant,  the  con- 
fident youth,  the  practiced  weapon  which  the  young 
man  of  the  hills  understands,  the  wonderful  victory. 
The  king  is  immediately  interested  in  the  young 
hero  who  has  wrought  such  a  triumph  for  Israel. 
He  determines  that  he  will  keep  him  as  a  member 
of  his  staff. 

There  was  made  that  day  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  friendships  recorded  for  us  in  literature. 
The  king's  son  and  the  young  victor  fell  in  manly 
love  with  each  other  at  first  sight.  Without  a  trace 
of  possible  jealousy  they  pledged  a  friendship 
which  lasted  until  death.  The  young  hero  immedi- 
ately took  an  important  place.  He  was  not  only 
successful  in  war,  but  so  prudent  that  those  who 
might  have  been  jealous  of  his  success  became  his 
fast  friends. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

22^.  Ask  if  a  good  fighter  is  always  a  good 
ruler?    There  is  an  old  proverb,  "He  that  ruleth 


DAVID  AND  THE  GIANT  137 

his  spirit  is  greater  than  .  .  .  ."  Let  the  students 
finish  the  quotation.  That  is  where  Saul  failed. 
He  could  lead  an  army,  but  he  could  not  organize 
a  kingdom,  and  he  could  not  govern  his  own  tem- 
per. We  are  going  to  see  in  this  lesson  how  another 
king  was  being  prepared  to  take  his  place. 

226.  The  choice  of  David. — Be  sure  that  the 
students  feel  the  significance  of  this  divine  direc- 
tion. The  dialogue  regarding  the  character  of  the 
young  man  was  carried  on  in  Samuel's  mind.  He 
wanted  to  be  very  sure  this  time.  He  had  chosen 
Saul  for  his  fine  physical  qualities  and  had  been 
disappointed.  He  was  now  concerned  to  learn  the 
inner  spirit  of  the  man  who  was  to  be  the  new  king. 
Note  that  while  Saul  was  anointed  privately,  David 
was  anointed  in  the  midst  of  his  brethren,  and  yet 
the  significance  of  the  act  was  probably  not  clear 
to  the  bystanders. 

22/.  The  challenger. — This  is  a  fine  old  story 
and  should  be  thoroughly  enjoyed.  Do  not  insist 
upon  its  historical  character  too  literally.  Doubt- 
less there  were  some  very  tall  men  among  the 
Philistines. 

228.  The  arrival  of  David. — Note  the  natural- 
ness of  the  story.  Let  the  students  bring  out  the 
interest  of  the  young  man  in  the  challenge,  the 
scorn  of  his  older  brothers,  David's  sudden  deter- 
mination. Ask  them  why  older  brothers  never 
think  that  the  youngsters  can  do  anything. 

22p.  David  before  the  king. — Note  his  simple 
narration  of  his  former  exploits.    Ask  the  class  if 


138  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

this  was  brag.  Show  that  it  was  a  fine  faith  and 
courage.  It  is  very  interesting  that  he  could  not 
use  Saul's  armor  and  weapons.  A  man  must  use 
his  own  methods ;  he  cannot  imitate  another. 

2^0.  David's  weapon. — Call  especial  attention 
to  the  ability  which  years  of  practice  had  given 
David  with  the  sling.  He  knew  that  he  could  rely 
upon  that  weapon  which  he  understood.  Let  the 
description  of  the  meeting  be  made  very  dramatic. 

2^1.  Bluster  and  confidence. — Call  attention  to 
the  difference  between  these  two.  Let  two  mem- 
bers of  the  class  take  the  parts  of  David  and 
Goliath  and  go  through  the  dialogue.  Let  the  class 
repeat  in  concert,  and  learn,  "Thrice  is  he  armed 
who  hath  his  quarrel  just." 

2^2.  The  king's  interest. — So  far  the  king  has 
felt  no  jealousy.  He  has  only  keen  interest  in  the 
young  hero. 

.?5J.  The  deathless  friendship. — We  shall  see 
how  the  beautiful  unselfish  friendship  that  was 
formed  that  day  became  so  strong  that  no  jealousy 
could  break  it. 

Summary 

It  might  easily  have  seemed  to  David  as  a  boy 
that  he  had  a  very  commonplace  life  before  him. 
Taking  care  of  the  sheep  was  the  humblest  work 
and  was  given  to  the  youngest  son.  But  he  did  it 
well.  He  developed  a  boldness  and  resourceful- 
ness that  more  than  once  saved  the  flocks  from  the 
wild  beasts.     And   he  used   his   leisure   time   for 


DAVID  AND  THE  GIANT  139 

practice  with  the  sling,  until  he  became  an  expert 
with  that  weapon.  It  is  the  boy  who  does  well 
whatever  he  has  in  hand  who  makes  success.  Care- 
less boys  make  commonplace  men.  The  eager  boys 
who  work  well  and  play  well  make  successful  men. 
If  we  had  a  story  of  a  heroine  instead  of  a  hero 
we  would  find  the  same  principle  would  be  true 
for  successful  women. 

Written  Review 

Talk  over  with  the  class  some  of  the  common 
tasks  of  life.  Give  some  illustrations  from  your 
experience  of  successful  men  and  women  who 
were  prepared  by  simple  faithfulness.  Encourage 
them  to  think  of  the  meaning  of  home  and  school 
duties.  Arouse  an  interest  in  the  preparation  of 
the  notebook  statements. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Suppose  Saul  and  Jonathan  should  find  out 
that  David  was  to  be  the  next  king,  what  would 
they  do?  We  shall  see  in  the  next  lesson  how  each 
of  them  behaved  about  David's  continued  success. 


XXII.    THE  HERO  FRIENDS,  DAVID  AND 

JONATHAN 
References: 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Jonathan,"  "David" 
(§  I),  "Saul." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  the  misery  of  jealousy  and  the  happi- 
ness of  friendship. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
In  this  story  is  seen  the  quick  jealousy  of  Saul 
immediately  after  David  receives  the  recognition  of 
the  people.  This  grows  with  every  increase  of  his 
popularity.  Saul's  jealous  temperament  finds  ad- 
ditional ground  for  suspicion  in  the  affection  which 
his  son  Jonathan  manifests  for  David,  and  he  even 
becomes  jealous  of  his  daughter's  love  for  David 
to  whom  she  is  married.  The  king  becomes  almost 
insane  from  his  morbid  suspicions.  Again  and 
again  he  seeks  to  kill  his  son-in-law.  Jonathan 
remains  the  loyal  friend.  More  than  once  he  ap- 
peals to  his  father's  better  nature  and  David  is 
saved.  But  at  last  it  becomes  clear  to  David  him- 
self that  there  is  no  escape.  He  devises  a  plan  to 
determine  definitely  Saul's  attitude  toward  him. 
He  appeals  to  Jonathan  to  assist  him.  The  prince, 
although  David  is  really  his  rival  for  the  throne, 
gladly  answers  the  claim  of  friendship.  When  the 
king  bluntly  declares  that  David  is  seeking  the 
Z40 


DAVID  AND  JONATHAN  141 

throne  Jonathan  takes  his  stand  with  his  friend. 
The  king  quarrels  with  his  son.  It  is  clear  that 
David  must  flee  for  his  life,  so  the  true  friends 
part  with  mutual  promises  of  help.  The  contrast 
between  the  jealousy  of  Saul  and  the  loyal  friend- 
ship of  Jonathan  is  beautifully  pictured  in  this 
story.  The  students  ought  to  feel  the  wretchedness 
of  a  jealous  disposition  and  the  glory  of  true 
friendship. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  N.  The  feast  of  the  new  moon. — In  ancient 
Israel  the  religious  ceremonies  were  generally  connected 
with  feasts.  An  animal  would  be  offered  to  the  Lord, 
and  then  would  be  eaten  by  the  worshipers.  It  was  cus- 
tomary to  hold  such  a  festival  at  the  beginning  of  each 
month.  Very  naturally  the  coming  of  the  new  moon  was 
their  measure  of  time. 

Note  O.  Family  festivals. — Each  family  would  have 
its  own  anniversaries  very  much  as  we  have,  and  it  was 
quite  proper  for  the  various  members  to  gather  at  the 
father's  house.  Animals  would  be  sacrificed  and  the 
feast  would  be  eaten.  David  was  only  following  a  usual 
custom  when  he  asked  permission  of  the  king's  son  to 
attend  a  family  festival  at  Bethlehem. 

Note  P.  Ceremonial  cleanliness. — Presence  at  any  of 
these  feasts  was  dependent  upon  ceremonial  cleanliness. 
There  were  many  occurrences  which  might  defile  a  per- 
son. For  example,  if  he  touched  a  dead  body  he  would  be 
ceremonially  unclean.  Certain  washings  and  observances 
would  be  necessary  before  he  would  be  able  to  join  with 
others  in  worship.  When  David  failed  to  appear  at  the 
feast,  Saul  naturally  supposed  that  he  needed  some  such 
cleansing. 


142  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

In  a  class  of  boys  ask,  Did  you  ever  know  two 
friends  each  of  whom  wanted  to  be  captain  of  the 
same  team?  What  came  of  it?  In  a  class  of  girls 
ask,  Did  you  ever  know  two  friends  each  of  whom 
wanted  the  same  office?  What  came  of  it?  Did 
you  ever  know  two  friends,  one  of  whom  received 
many  presents  and  great  attention,  while  the  other 
received  very  little?  What  came  of  that?  The 
teacher  should  bring  out  the  nature  of  jealousy, 
and  state  that  the  lesson  shows  the  growth  of  the 
spirit  of  jealousy  in  Saul,  and  the  reason  why 
Jonathan  was  saved  from  it. 

2^4.  The  generosity  of  friendship. — Show  that 
Jonathan  had  just  as  much  reason  to  be  jealous  of 
David  as  Saul  had.  Indeed  more  so,  for  Saul  might 
reign  until  his  death,  while  Jonathan  would  not 
reign  at  all,  if  David  became  king.  But  Jonathan 
was  saved  from  jealousy  because  he  admired  the 
noble  courage  and  the  simple  modesty  of  David, 
and  was  willing  for  him  to  have  every  chance  to  do 
his  best.  David  in  his  turn  admired  the  generosity 
and  kindness  of  the  noble  prince.  It  was  thus  the 
great  friendship  was  made. 

-?55.  The  meanness  of  jealousy. — The  song  of 
the  women  captures  the  students'  imagination.  They 
will  see  how  the  king  would  feel  bitter  when  he 
heard  it.  Show  how  the  king  would  naturally 
begin  to  be  jealous  of  the  man  who  was  praised  by 
the  people.     Be  sure  that  the  students  remember 


DAVID  AND  JONATHAN  I43 

the  meaning  of  "magnanimous."  Let  them  see 
that  Saul  had  a  fine  opportunity  to  be  magnani- 
mous but  his  jealous  spirit  would  not  allow  it. 

2^6.  The  struggle  between  the  good  and  the 
bad. — Saul  had  generous  elements  in  his  nature, 
and  there  was  a  fierce  struggle  between  his  gener- 
osity and  his  jealousy.  Help  the  students  to  see 
how  these  good  and  bad  qualities  fight  within  us, 
how  sad  it  is  when  the  bad  conquers,  as  in  Saul, 
how  beautiful  it  is  when  the  good  conquers,  as  in 
Jonathan. 

2j/.  Jealousy  becomes  murder. — Help  the  stu- 
dents to  see  how  evil  grows  by  what  it  feeds  on. 
The  jealous  king  becomes  a  murderer  at  heart. 
The  good  endeavors  of  David  against  Saul's  ene- 
mies, and  the  kindly  ministry  of  the  minstrel,  alike 
drive  the  half-mad  king  to  frenzy. 

2j8.  Jealousy  spoils  family  life. — The  students 
ought  to  see  that  so  mean  a  spirit  poisons  every 
part  of  life.  The  king  was  even  jealous  of  his 
daughter's  love  for  her  husband.  The  story  shows 
the  whole  wretched  scheming.  The  daughter  in 
turn  deceives  her  own  father. 

2^p.  The  appeal  of  friendship. — David  under- 
stood that  the  king  was  deceiving  Jonathan  regard- 
ing his  jealous  designs.  The  generous-hearted 
prince  could  not  believe  that  his  father  was  so 
mean  of  spirit.  The  students  ought  to  see  that 
Jonathan  held  to  his  friendship  quite  regardless  of 
his  own  interests.  He  refused  to  consider  himself 
and  David  as  rivals.    Let  them  see  how  confident 


144  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

David  felt  in  the  friendship  of  Jonathan,  that  he 
was  willing  to  make  an  appeal  to  him  to  save  his 
life.  Bring  out  by  a  few  questions  the  plan  which 
David  proposed. 

240.  The  covenant  of  the  friends. — The  stu- 
dents should  see  here  how  deep  friendship  can  go. 
Jonathan  is  even  willing  to  recognize  that  David  is 
to  be  king,  and  David  is  willing  to  promise  that  he 
will  always  take  care  of  the  family  of  Jonathan. 
What  a  sacred  promise  was  made  that  day! 

241.  Jonathan's  clever  device. — Jealousy  and 
suspicion  on  the  one  hand  result  in  stratagem  on 
the  other.  How  gladly  Jonathan  would  have  been 
perfectly  straightforward  with  his  father,  but  he 
was  obliged,  much  against  his  own  will,  to  carry 
out  his  plans  by  stealth.  The  student  will  appre- 
ciate the  cleverness  of  Jonathan's  device  and  it 
should  be  carefully  drawn  forth  by  questions. 

242.  Saul's  quarrel  with  Jonathan. — Let  the 
student  give  the  facts.  Explain  if  necessary  the 
nature  of  the  feast,  and  the  possible  ceremonial 
uncleanliness.  Bring  out  the  thought  that  Saul 
is  determined  that  Jonathan  shall  see  definitely  that 
David  is  his  rival  to  the  throne;  that  the  king  is 
exceedingly  angered  when  he  realizes  that  Jonathan 
refuses  to  be  disturbed  by  this  fact;  and  that  the 
miserable  jealousy  ends  in  a  fierce  quarrel  between 
the  king  and  his  son.  He  would  have  murdered 
Jonathan.  We  never  know  where  angry  passions 
will  end. 

24s.  The  parting  of  the  friends. — The  bit  of 


DAVID  AND  JONATHAN  145 

clever  play  might  be  acted  out,  three  members  of 
the  class  taking  the  parts  of  Jonathan,  David,  and 
the  boy.  Do  not  fail  to  let  the  students  feel  the 
pathos  of  this  parting,  each  friend  trusting  the 
loyalty  of  the  other. 

Summary 
No  true  hero  can  be  jealous.     The  magnani- 
mous spirit  has  no  room  for  petty  suspicion.    Real 
friendship  is  loyal,  unselfish,  magnanimous. 

Written  Review 
It  is  very  desirable  that  these  elemental  heroic 
qualities  shall  be  seen  to  belong  to  common  life. 
Try  to  get  the  students  to  think  of  an  instance  that 
has  come  under  their  own  observation  of  someone 
who  refused  to  look  upon  his  friend  as  a  rival  and 
gladly  gave  up  some  good  thing,  which  he  himself 
greatly  desired.  The  writing  of  such  little  experi- 
ences will  be  of  great  value. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
If  Saul  had  definitely  decided  to  kill  David,  the 
young  man  had  a  serious  problem  before  him. 
Where  could  he  flee  from  the  king?  We  shall 
see  in  the  next  lesson  how  he  gathered  a  little 
army  about  him  and  kept  himself  safe  from  Saul's 
enmity. 


XXIII.    DAVID,  THE  OUTLAW 

References: 

Stewart,  pp.  102,  230-35. 
Tristram,  pp.  118-20,  180-81. 

Dictionary    of    the    Bible,    articles    "David"     (§2), 
"Saul,"  "Nabal." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To   show    how    a   man    may   meet    difficulties 
bravely  and  how  forgiveness  is  better  than  revenge. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
This  is  a  very  fine  piece  of  story-telling.  It 
shows  us  David,  fleeing  to  his  native  hills,  gather- 
ing about  him  a  company  of  men  who  were  all  in 
unfortunate  condition,  and  forming  them  into  a 
little  army.  The  extraordinary  winning  power  of 
the  man  is  evident  by  the  way  in  which  he  con- 
trols his  turbulent  outlaws.  His  activity  was  alto- 
gether beneficent  and  patriotic.  He  was  no  mere 
leader  of  a  gang  of  robbers.  He  conquered  an 
invading  band  of  Philistines,  and  guarded  the 
shepherds  and  farmers  from  the  various  marauders 
who  make  life  in  the  East  so  dangerous.  Natu- 
rally he  must  depend  upon  these  same  farmers  and 
shepherds  for  subsistence,  and  a  striking  incident 
grows  out  of  his  relations  with  Nabal  and  Abigail. 
All  the  time  Saul  continues  his  implacable  enemy. 
Again  and  again  he  attempts  to  capture  him.  One 
occasion  gives  a  notable  opportunity  for  David  to 
146 


DAVID,  THE  OUTLAW  147 

manifest  that  generosity  which  is  the  mark  of  the 
true  hero.  Again  we  have  a  repentance  of  Saul, 
the  man  of  moods.  But  David  realizes  that  the 
king  cannot  be  trusted,  and  takes  his  flight  by  a 
bold  plan  into  the  country  of  the  national  enemies. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

If  there  is  any  notable  instance  of  a  man  seek- 
ing to  escape  arrest  it  would  form  a  good  begin- 
ning for  the  lesson.  Or  the  interest  in  David  may 
be  sufficiently  great  to  begin  with  the  statement. 
Let  us  see  what  became  of  our  hero  when  he  was 
obliged  to  flee  for  his  life. 

244.  David's  flight. — Make  very  clear  to  the 
class  that  David  was  obliged  to  escape  from  the 
power  of  the  government.  The  unsettled  conditions 
of  those  days  made  that  a  very  much  easier  matter 
than  it  would  be  today.  Let  the  students  see 
clearly  that  his  case  is  not  parallel  to  that  of  a 
modern  criminal,  for  the  king  would  have  given 
him  no  chance  of  a  fair  trial. 

245.  The  band  of  outlaws. — This  is  a  very 
picturesque  account.  The  students  must  under- 
stand that  it  was  the  unsettled  condition  of  the 
government  that  justified  men  in  thus  opposing  the 
law.  The  parallel  with  Robin  Hood  may  well  be 
made,  but  be  very  careful  that  the  natural  interest 
in  lawlessness  is  not  fostered. 

246.  David  to  the  rescue. — The  patriotic  nature 
of  David's  fighting  against  his  people's  enemies 
should  be  carefully  noted. 


148  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

24y.  The  jealous  king. — The  same  idea  that 
was  brought  out  in  the  last  lesson  may  be  still  fur- 
ther developed.  The  hideous  jealousy  of  Saul 
could  not  die  and  he  was  still  seeking  to  capture 
David.  Evidently  he  was  unwilling  that  David 
should  have  the  credit  of  conquering  the  national 
enemies. 

248.  A  reasonable  request. — Let  the  students 
see  that  there  was  practically  no  police  protection 
for  farmers  and  shepherds  in  those  days,  and  that 
David's  band  served  a  very  useful  purpose.  It  was 
therefore  not  unreasonable  for  him  to  expect  to  be 
paid. 

249.  Folly  and  anger. — The  narrative  indicates 
a  number  of  bad  passions.  Nabal  is  a  foolish  man 
and  a  churl,  as  his  rough  answer  indicates.  But 
David  is  too  hot-headed  in  deciding  to  fight  him. 
Let  the  class  see  that  while  David's  request  was 
reasonable,  he  had  no  right  to  compel  payment. 

2^0.  A  wise  woman. — Let  the  students  read 
Matt.  5  :g.  Let  them  see  how  large  a  part  the 
peacemakers  play  in  the  good  of  the  world.  Show 
how  prudent  was  Abigail's  conduct. 

251.  The  soft  answer. — "A  soft  answer  turneth 
away  wrath."  Do  not  lose  the  dramatic  character 
of  the  story.  David  and  his  four  hundred  men 
were  hurrying  on  with  murder  in  their  hearts.  The 
quiet,  brave  woman  turns  all  their  anger  into  peace. 
David  shows  he  is  a  true  hero  in  his  forgiveness. 

2^2.  The  satisfaction  of  self-control. — Let  the 
class  see  that  the  fool  died  by  his  own  folly.    How 


DAVID.  THE  OUTLAW  149 

glad  David  was  that  he  had  not  given  vi^ay  to  his 
anger.  No  one  is  ever  sorry  for  self-control.  It 
is  worth  noting  that  Abigail  gained  a  better 
husband. 

2^j.  Renewed  hostility  of  the  king. — Ask  the 
class  how  David  could  have  carried  on  his  expe- 
ditions and  yet  escape  the  jealous  watchfulness  of 
Saul.  What  constant  care  it  must  have  taken !  The 
class  will  readily  enter  into  this  interesting  matter. 
Show  that  David  kept  to  the  caves  of  the  moun- 
tains, making  rapid  onslaughts  upon  the  enemies, 
and  then  seeking  safety  again. 

2^4.  David's  generosity. — Endeavor  to  secure 
picturesque  description  of  the  sleeping  host  and  of 
David's  bold  approach  to  the  king.  Do  not  be 
afraid  to  return  to  the  word  "magnanimous."  It  is 
one  of  the  best  lessons  that  the  students  can  learn. 
Let  them  feel  the  magnanimity  of  this  fine  act. 

2§j.  Another  repentance. — Again  secure  vivid 
description  of  the  incidents.  Let  the  students  see 
again  the  good  and  bad  struggle  in  the  spirit  of 
Saul.  The  man  is  really  sorry  for  his  jealousy 
and  hatred,  but  it  is  the  sorrow  which  lasts  so  short 
a  time. 

-?5(5.  A  bold  flight. — Here  is  a  good  opportunity 
for  a  little  geographical  review.  Use  the  map 
again.  By  questions  bring  out  from  the  class  the 
location  of  the  Philistines;  the  nature  of  their 
enmity ;  the  reason  why  it  was  dangerous  for  David 
to  go  there;  the  fact  that  they  might  be  willing  to 
receive   him   because   he   was    Saul's    enemy;    the 


150  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

boldness  of  David  in  making  such  a  plan.  There 
was  really  no  other  course  open  to  him.  He 
trusted  that  the  Philistines  would  be  glad  to  make 
friends  with  so  dangerous  a  foe. 

Stunmary 
A  man  who  is  in  the  right  can  always  aflford  to 
wait.  David  was  deprived  of  his  place  in  the  army 
and  in  the  king's  court.  He  was  compelled  to  be 
an  outlaw,  but  he  steadfastly  did  the  best  that  he 
could  under  the  circumstances.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  these  rough  years  were  giving  him  fine  prepa- 
ration for  the  work  of  the  kingship  that  was  com- 
ing later.  It  is  especially  to  be  noted  that  he  kept 
his  generous  qualities.  This  can  be  seen  by  his 
winning  the  loyalty  of  his  men,  acceding  to  the 
request  of  Abigail,  and  sparing  the  life  of  Saul. 

Written  Review 
The  review  perhaps  calls  for  rather  more  play 
of  the  imagination  than  the  young  students  might 
be  able  to  exercise.  If  the  teacher  at  the  end  of 
the  class  will  help  them  to  see  how  Abishai  felt 
when  he  volunteered  to  go  with  David,  when  he 
saw  the  chance  to  kill  the  king,  when  he  realized 
his  leader's  generosity,  and  when  he  heard  the  con- 
versation between  David  and  Saul,  it  is  probable 
that  they  may  be  able  to  write  quite  an  effective 
story.     It  is  well  worth  trying. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
Ask  the  students  what  would  be  likely  to  hap- 
pen in   Israel   if   Saul  and  Jonathan  should  both 


DAVID,  THE  OUTLAW  1 51 

die.  Had  David  lost  his  chance  of  the  kingdom 
by  going  to  the  land  of  the  enemy?  In  the  next 
lesson  we  shall  see  how  everything  worked  out  for 
David's  advantage. 

It  will  be  well  to  announce  that  there  is  a  beauti- 
ful poem  in  the  next  lesson  and  to  arrange  that  two 
members  of  the  class  shall  be  ready  to  recite  it  in 
concert.  It  might  even  be  recited  before  the  whole 
school. 


XXIV.    DAVID,  THE  KING 

References: 

Stewart,  pp.  ii,  29-31,  34-35,  129-30,  221-22, 
Price,  pp.  71-75,  133-36,  271. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "David"  (§3), 
"Saul,"  "Jerusalem"  (§2),  "Aramaeans" 
(Syrians),  "Edom,"  "Ammon,"  "Tyre." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  see  how  David  made  a  success  of  his  king- 
ship. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

The  story  of  David's  way  to  the  throne  is  a 
long  one  and  is  very  greatly  condensed.  He  had 
clearly  in  mind  his  destiny  to  be  the  king  of  Israel, 
but  he  was  no  vulgar  plotter  and  was  content  to 
wait  until  the  proper  opportunity  should  come. 
Moreover  he  loved  Saul  and  Jonathan.  He  never 
lost  his  tender  interest  in  the  big  king  who  had 
once  loved  him,  and  his  friendship  for  Jonathan 
was  undying.  He  would  not  therefore  undertake 
any  action  against  them,  but  waited  the  inevitable 
outcome  of  events.  At  the  death  of  Saul  and 
Jonathan  the  way  was  open  for  David  to  assume 
the  kingship  in  his  own  tribe  of  Judah  without 
undertaking  any  very  definite  warfare  against 
Saul's  son  Ish-bosheth.  He  was  able  to  wait  until 
that  temporary  kingship  fell  to  pieces  and  all  Israel 
accepted  him  as  king.  David  then  undertook  the 
152 


DAVID,  THE  KING  153 

necessary  steps,  which  Saul  had  never  understood, 
for  the  organization  of  the  kingdom.  First  he 
estabhshed  a  capital,  securing  the  strong  city  of 
Jerusalem.  He  was  then  ready  for  the  task  with- 
out which  no  kingdom  of  Israel  was  possible :  the 
subjugation  of  those  troublesome  invaders  who  had 
always  prevented  the  organization  of  the  Hebrews. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  Q.  Jerusalem. — Jerusalem  is  one  of  the  very 
old  cities  of  the  world.  It  is  probable  that  it  was  largely 
inhabited  and  strongly  fortified  when  Abraham  came  into 
Canaan.  It  was  in  possession  of  a  tribe  of  the  Canaan- 
ites  known  as  the  Jebusites.  When  the  Hebrews  settled 
in  Canaan  they  did  not  succeed  in  dispossessing  the  Jebu- 
sites, therefore  Jerusalem  had  remained  continuously  a  for- 
eign city  in  the  midst  of  the  land.  Its  location  on  the 
borders  between  the  southern  kingdom  of  Judah  and 
the  northern  kingdom  of  Israel  fitted  it  admirably  to  be 
the  capital  of  the  united  nation.  Its  strength  and  its 
traditional  dignity  likewise  made  it  the  fitting  site  for 
the  central  city.  David  showed  his  rare  statesmanship 
in  the  selection  of  this  capital. 

Note  R.  Israel  and  her  neighbors. — Israel  had  to  a 
great  extent  subdued  the  Canaanites,  but  there  were  other 
peoples  on  her  borders  who  were  a  continual  source  of 
trouble  and  weakness.  The  Philistines,  as  we  have  noted, 
were  well  organized  and  able  warriors.  Refer  to  Note  K. 
We  have  seen  what  a  constant  menace  they  were  to  Israel. 
The  Edomites,  Moabites,  and  Ammonites,  on  the  south- 
ern and  eastern  border,  were  kindred  Semitic  tribes  con- 
stantly making  war  upon  Israel  and  very  jealous  of  any 
strong    development   of    a    national    life    in    that    people. 


154  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

On  the  northeast  border  the  Syrian  tribes  were  becom- 
ing organized,  with  the  old  city  of  Damascus  as  a  capital. 
These,  too,  were  a  danger  to  Israel.  The  Sidonians  on 
the  northwest  coast,  or  as  they  were  later  called,  the 
Phoenicians,  living  especially  in  the  strong  cities  of  Tyre 
and  Sidon,  were  a  commercial  people,  more  concerned 
with  a  development  of  their  commerce  than  with  war,  but 
a  people  to  be  reckoned  with  by  any  king  of  Israel. 

Note  S.  David's  army. — The  six  hundred  men  who 
had  formed  David's  troop  in  the  wilderness  were  the  old 
guard  of  his  army.  The  leaders  among  them  were  the 
valiant  knights.  Their  deeds  of  prowess  were  fam  lus 
in  Hebrew  story.  With  these  as  a  nucleus,  David  de- 
veloped an  army  which  was  never  conquered.  The  chiefs 
of  his  outlaw  band,  men  whom  he  had  trained  under  his 
own  eye,  became  the  generals  of  his  national  forces.  He 
was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  great  warriors  of  antiquity. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

Ask  the  class  why  Washington  is  considered  a 
national  hero.  Then  ask  why  we  thought  Moses 
was  a  national  hero  of  the  Hebrews.  This  will  be 
a  good  opportunity  for  a  moment's  review  of 
Moses'  great  work  as  the  founder  of  the  nation. 
If  Moses  founded  the  nation,  David  really  founded 
the  kingdom.  We  are  going  to  study  the  hero  who 
made  Israel  great. 

25/.  David's  patience. — Let  the  class  see  how 
long  David  waited  for  the  throne.  The  hope  came 
to  him  in  his  youth  when  he  was  anointed.  When 
he  led  Saul's  armies  it  was  evident  that  he  was 
preferred  by  the  people.     But  he  never  made  a 


DAVID.  THE  KING  155 

false  move.    He  waited  for  the  proper  time.    Ask 
them  if  this  is  a  mark  of  greatness. 

2^8.  Saul's  tragic  fate. — The  main  point  here  is 
for  the  students  to  appreciate  the  tragedy  of  the 
death  of  Saul  and  his  son. 

2^9.  David's  sorrozv. — Let  the  class  feel  the 
reality  of  David's  grief.  The  death  of  Saul  and 
Jonathan  opened  the  way  to  the  throne,  but  David's 
friendship  was  greater  than  his  ambition.  Empha- 
size again  the  magnanimity  of  forgiveness. 

j26o.  David's  dirge. — The  sorrow  of  David  is 
beautifully  expressed  in  the  song.  Try  to  bring 
out  the  lyric  beauty  of  the  song  so  that  they  may 
feel  its  pathos.  Make  an  effort  to  have  the  class 
commit  it  to  memory. 

261.  David's  triumph. — Pass  rapidly  over  the 
events.  The  important  point  is  that  the  class  shall 
see  that  everything  turned  out  to  David's  advantage. 

262.  The  capture  of  Jerusalem. — There  is  a 
good  point  of  contact  in  the  comparison  between 
Jerusalem  and  the  city  of  Washington.  Make  the 
most  of  the  statesmanship  of  David  as  an  element 
in  his  greatness.  The  noblest  leaders  of  men  are 
always  careful  to  avoid  petty  jealousies. 

26^.  The  subjugation  of  the  enemies. — The 
map  should  be  thoroughly  used.  It  might  be  well 
to  draw  one  roughly  upon  the  blackboard,  so  as  to 
indicate  the  location  of  the  various  enemies.  There 
is  good  opportunity  here  for  a  geographical  review. 

264.  The  loyalty  of  David's  knights. — The 
main  point  of  emphasis  is  the  wonderful  way  in 


156  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

which  men  were  willing  to  sacrifice  themselves  for 
David. 

Summary 
When  we  come  to  the  triumph  of  David  we  can 
see  the  steps  which  made  it  possible.  All  his  boy- 
hood experiences  and  the  hard  difficulties  through 
which  he  passed  prepared  him  for  his  great  for- 
tune. He  was  a  man  who  could  win  men;  he  was 
willing  to  wait;  he  was  dauntless  in  danger;  he 
cheerfully  bore  hardships;  he  always  kept  his 
faith  that  he  could  do  what  God  wanted  him  to  do. 
Thus  he  came  to  be  the  greatest  of  the  kings  of 
Israel. 

Written  Review 
Let  the  geographical  treatment  in  the  study  of 
the  lesson  be  a  preparation  for  the  review.     Even 
if  the  students  have  made  a  map  let  them  make  an- 
other for  this  special  purpose. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
It  would  seem  that  David  was  so  successful 
that  he  only  needed  to  hand  on  his  work  to  good 
sons  for  it  to  be  permanent.  Does  a  good  father 
always  have  good  sons?  Why  not?  Recall  Eli 
and  his  sons.  We  shall  see  in  the  next  lesson  all 
the  trouble  that  a  spoiled  and  wicked  son  gave  to 
a  noble  father. 


XXV.    DAVID  AND  HIS  REBEL  SON 

References; 

Stewart,  pp.  319,  324. 
Tristram,  pp.   102-3,  201-3,  229-32. 
Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "David,"  "Absalom," 
"Cherethites  and  Pelethites." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  show  the  misery  that  a  spoiled  and  wicked 
son  may  bring  upon  himself  and  his  family. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
This  fine  narrative  of  David,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  in  the  Bible,  continues  with  great  ful- 
ness to  discuss  David's  private  family  life.  We  do 
not  discuss  the  details  of  David's  sin  and  of  the 
evils  in  his  family,  for  these  are  not  appropriate 
for  young  students.  We  simply  note  that  his 
family  life  was  unfortunate,  and  then  concentrate 
attention  upon  Absalom,  who  had  his  father's 
beauty  and  winning  grace,  but  without  his  nobility. 
The  story  exhibits  this  man  as  a  hypocrite,  a  traitor, 
and  a  would-be  parricide.  We  see  the  working  out 
of  his  utter  selfishness.  At  last  we  see  his  fall 
accomplished  through  his  foolish  vanity.  David 
proves  himself  the  shrewd  old  warrior,  forsaking 
his  capital  so  as  not  to  be  cooped  up  in  a  siege, 
taking  care  to  have  friends  in  the  city,  withdraw- 
ing to  a  distance  that  his  adherents  may  have 
opportunity  to  come  to  him,  carefully  planning  the 
157 


158  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

battle  that  was  to  put  down  the  rebellion.  But  we 
see  also  the  father  whose  commands  to  his  generals 
are  urgent  that  Absalom  shall  not  be  hurt,  and 
who,  when  the  news  of  the  victory  comes,  forgets 
his  kingdom  in  the  bitter  grief  of  his  fatherhood. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  T.  The  gate. — The  gate  of  an  ancient  city  was 
the  market  place,  the  hall  of  justice,  the  club.  Every- 
body came  to  the  gate.  Absalom's  presence  at  the  gate 
gave  him  the  opportunity  to  meet  representative  people 
from  all  over  the  country  who  would  be  coming  for 
various  causes  to  Jerusalem.  There  was  a  simple  system 
of  justice  and  of  appeal  from  court  to  court  in  those 
days.  The  final  appeal  would  be  to  the  king.  He  might 
sit  in  the  gate  himself  and  hear  the  most  important  cases, 
or  he  might  depute  some  judge  to  represent  him.  Delay 
has  always  been  a  characteristic  of  the  administration  of 
justice.  Absalom  shrewdly  and  hypocritically  pretended 
that,  if  he  had  the  opportunity,  every  man's  suit  would 
be  heard  at  once. 

Note  U.  Cherethites,  Pelethites,  Gittites. — These 
were  different  clans  of  Philistines.  While  David  lived  in 
Philistia  he  had  come  to  know  these  hardy  warriors. 
After  he  became  king  and  defeated  the  Philistines  they 
seem  willingly  to  have  accepted  his  rule,  and  he  secured 
a  bodyguard  of  six  hundred  men  from  their  ranks.  His 
old  guard  of  the  wilderness  by  this  time  must  have  been 
too  old  for  active  service.  These  mercenaries  admirably 
took  their  place. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

A  good  beginning  might  be  made  with  the 
question,  Did  you  ever  see  a  spoiled  child?    What 


DAVID  AND  HIS  REBEL  SON  159 

was  the  matter  with  the  child?  Did  you  ever  see 
a  spoiled  child  that  had  grown  up  to  young  man- 
hood or  womanhood?  Did  you  ever  see  one  who 
grew  up  to  be  very  beautiful  or  handsome?  Would 
that  be  likely  to  make  it  worse?  That  was  the 
trouble  with  Absalom.  He  had  been  brought  up 
in  self-indulgence.  He  was  so  beautiful  that  he 
became  utterly  vain  and  selfish. 

265.  David's  family  life. — Tell  the  class  just 
enough  of  the  wretchedness  of  David's  sin  and  the 
family  quarrels  for  them  to  appreciate  the  con- 
ditions in  which  Absalom  grew  up, 

266.  Absalom's  beauty. — Let  the  class  describe 
him. 

267.  Absalom's  treachery. — It  may  be  difficult 
for  the  students  to  understand  the  exact  nature  of 
Absalom's  conduct.  Explain  vividly  the  scene  at 
the  gate. 

268.  Absalom's  plot. — Show  that  the  city  of 
Hebron  might  well  have  been  jealous  of  Jerusalem. 
Absalom  took  advantage  of  that  feeling  to  make 
it  the  headquarters  of  his  treason.  His  treachery 
is  evident  in  taking  the  two  hundred  men  who  were 
innocent  of  any  knowledge  of  the  affair.  They 
were  naturally  obliged  to  join  him  for  their  safety. 

26Q.  David's  friends. — Let  the  story  be  told 
in  such  a  way  as  to  show  how  loyal  were  those 
who  were  nearest  to  David. 

220.  David's  faith. — If  the  students  refer  back 
to  the  story  of  the  Ark  carried  against  the  Philis- 
tines, there  will  be  a  good  opportunity  for  review. 


l6o  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Refer  to  Note  M.  Lay  emphasis  upon  David's 
faith  that  God  would  bring  him  back  again  to  the 
city. 

2yi.  David's  shrewd  plan. — Let  the  sad  journey 
up  the  Mount  of  Olives  be  graphically  described. 
Be  sure  that  the  students  understand  that  Hushai 
was  sent  back  to  pretend  to  be  a  counselor  of 
Absalom. 

2^2,  Absalom's  fatal  vanity. — A  very  striking 
story  is  this  account  of  the  two  counselors.  Of 
course  Ahithophel  was  right.  The  only  possibility 
for  the  success  of  the  rebellion  was  in  instantly 
striking  a  blow.  Hushai  appealed  to  Absalom's 
vanity  and  persuaded  him  that  everyone  would 
come  to  his  side.  This  was  really  the  salvation  of 
David. 

-?7J.  David's  escape. — Let  the  students  use  the 
map,  and  see  how  the  swift  messengers  came  from 
Jerusalem  to  the  Jordan,  how  David  crossed  at  the 
fords  near  Jericho  and  saved  his  little  company. 

2^4.  The  king  and  the  father. — Draw  out  very 
clearly  the  generalship  of  David  in  arranging  his 
army,  the  solicitude  of  the  people  that  he  should 
not  himself  go,  and  the  deep  interest  of  the  father 
in  his  son. 

-?75.  Absalom's  death. — The  principal  point 
here  is  to  bring  out  the  significant  details  of  the 
narrative  by  clear  questions.  It  is  very  brilliantly 
told. 

2^6.  David's  grief. — Try  to  make  the  students 
sympathize   with   the    feelings   of   the   king.     Let 


DAVID  AND  HIS  REBEL  SON  l6l 

them  see  the  dramatic  movement  of  the  story;  the 
watchman  looking  out,  the  king  waiting,  the  mes- 
senger arriving,  the  terrible  heartbreaking  lament. 

Summary 
Absalom  might  have  been  one  of  the  heroes  of 
Israel.  He  was  unfortunate  in  that  his  father 
spoiled  him.  He  ought  to  have  been  won  back  to 
strong  manhood  by  his  father's  consideration  and 
love,  but  vanity,  ambition,  selfishness,  ruined  him. 
Selfishness  was  the  root  of  it  all. 

Written  Review 
Call  the  attention  of  the  students  particularly 
to  the  fact  that  the  review  requires  them  to  con- 
sult the  Bible  and  not  the  textbook.  They  are  to 
notice  the  different  instances  in  which  David  won 
men  to  love  him.  Show  that  this  is  one  of  the 
finest  qualities.  The  review  may  be  made  to  cover 
the  five  lessons. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
We  have  really  a  special  review  and  a  general 
review,  and  the  two  may  well  be  worked  together. 
Explain  to  the  students  that  in  addition  to  the 
special  study  of  the  five  lessons  on  David  we  are 
to  make  a  review  of  twelve  lessons,  in  which  ten 
of  the  heroes  will  be  called  to  memory.  Seven  of 
these,  including  the  heroine,  we  shall  want  to  make 
our  friends  and  always  to  remember  their  story. 
The  other  three  men  we  cannot  think  so  well  of, 
though  there  were  good  qualities  in  each  of  them. 


l62  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Explain  that  we  are  to  review  the  twelve  lessons 
in  order  to  be  sure  of  the  ground  that  we  have 
covered.  Tell  the  class,  just  as  in  the  previous 
review,  how  the  directions  in  chap,  xxvi  of  the 
student's  book  are  to  be  followed.  The  success 
of  the  next  study  will  depend  upon  the  effective- 
ness of  the  students'  preparation  for  it.  Ask  them 
to  answer  in  writing  the  last  question :  which  of  the 
heroes  they  think  the  greatest. 


REVIEW 

XXVI.    Ten  Heroes  of  Israel 


XXVI.    REVIEW:  TEN  HEROES  OF 
ISRAEL 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To   see   in   these   persons   the   heroic   qualities 
which  made  greatness  and  happiness,  and  the  evil 
qualities  which  produced  misfortune. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
The  review  in  the  students'  book  is  intended  to 
help  them  to  go  over  the  lessons  and  familiarize 
themselves  with  the  stories  and  their  meaning.  In 
the  class,  however,  it  will  be  better  to  follow  the 
method  which  will  gather  up  the  significance  of 
the  stories.  Inasmuch  as  there  is  so  much  ground 
to  be  covered  it  will  be  necessary  to  treat  each  point 
very  simply. 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

If  the  class  has  studied  the  review  chapter  a 
good  beginning  may  be  made  by  calling  for  a  read- 
ing of  their  answers  to  the  question,  which  of  the 
heroes  they  think  the  greatest.  Do  not  allow  time 
for  a  discussion  of  these  answers,  but  suggest  that 
it  will  be  well  to  see  what  heroic  qualities  and 
what  evil  qualities  the  dififerent  persons  present. 

Courage  and  faith. — The  men  who  believe  that 

the  things  that  ought  to  be  done  can  be  done  are 

the  great  men.    Let  the  class  tell  of  Joshua,  Caleb, 

and  Gideon,  all  of  whom  showed  this  fine  combi- 

i6s 


l66  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

nation  of  faith  that  God  will  show  what  is  right 
joined  with  courage  to  do  it. 

Strength  and  weakness. — The  strength  of  these 
three  heroes  was  glorious.  But  some  men  have 
only  physical  strength.  Call  for  the  story  of  the 
strong  man  who  was  morally  weak.  Let  them 
see  how  pitiable  that  is. 

Devotion. — We  do  not  always  realize  the  heroic 
quality  of  the  women  who  live  at  home.  It  is  their 
loyal  devotion  to  those  they  love  that  makes  them 
heroines.  Show  the  students  that  Ruth  had  faith 
and  courage  which  led  to  her  devotion  to  Naomi. 

Greatness  and  zveakness. — Samson  was  physi- 
cally strong  but  morally  weak.  A  man  may  be  good 
in  his  own  life  and  yet  weak  in  his  conduct  toward 
others,  so  that  he  does  not  count  for  much.  The 
students  will  remember  the  good  old  priest  who 
could  not  train  his  evil  sons,  and  so  brought  disaster 
to  Israel. 

Sacrifice. — The  heroism  of  leading  in  a  coura- 
geous endeavor  is  easily  seen.  The  heroism  of  let- 
ting someone  else  lead  is  not  so  apparent.  The 
students  will  know  what  a  "sacrifice  hit"  means 
in  baseball.  Let  them  see  how  grand  old  Samuel 
gave  up  his  leadership  because  he  saw  that  Saul 
was  needed  to  lead  against  the  enemy. 

Bravery  and  jealousy. — We  should  like  to  ad- 
mire Saul,  the  gallant  soldier,  but  he  spoiled  it  all 
with  his  jealousy.  With  a  few  questions  bring  out 
the  suspicious  character  of  the  unhappy  man,  and 
show  how  it  led  to  misery. 


TEN  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL  167 

Friendship. — One  of  the  finest  of  all  qualities  is 
true  friendship.  Let  the  students  show  how  David 
and  Jonathan  each  possessed  the  noble  trait.  They 
will  recognize  Jonathan's  unselfish  friendship,  and 
their  review  of  David's  friends  will  help  them  to 
see  how  wonderfully  he  attracted  everybody  to 
him,  and  how  true  he  proved  to  his  friends. 

Leadership. — Joshua,  Caleb,  Gideon,  Samuel, 
Saul,  Jonathan,  all  had  some  elements  of  leader- 
ship, but  the  greatest  of  them  all  was  David.  Let 
the  students  tell  briefly  how  he  organized  the 
nation,  conquered  the  enemies,  and  brought  peace. 

Summary 

Arrange  the  lesson  so  as  to  leave  time  to  talk 
over  these  qualities  as  they  apply  to  young  life.  On 
the  basis  of  the  definite  examples  in  the  heroes,  the 
students  will  be  able  to  think  of  the  qualities  not 
as  abstractions  but  as  simple  possibilities.  We  see 
again  that  there  is  only  one  greatest  heroic  life. 
Jesus  had  courage  and  faith.  He  believed  that  God 
sent  him  to  help,  strengthen,  and  save  men,  and 
nothing  frightened  him  from  his  task.  He  met 
Pharisees,  rulers,  and  soldiers,  without  fear.  He 
must  have  had  a  fine  physical  manhood  also,  for 
he  bore  a  tremendous  strain  of  work.  But  there 
was  no  moral  weakness  in  his  young  manhood.  He 
conquered  temptation  gloriously.  Jesus'  whole  life 
was  a  devotion  to  those  whom  he  loved,  and  he 
loved  everybody.  He  was  beautifully  good,  but  he 
had  no   weak  good-nature.     He   sternly   rebuked 


l68  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

those  who  were  wrong,  even  among  his  disciples. 
He  took  a  whip  and  turned  out  those  who  were 
profaning  the  temple.  He  told  the  Pharisees  that 
they  were  blind  guides  of  the  people.  His  is  the 
supreme  sacrifice.  He  gave  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many.  And  he  had  no  jealousy.  He  was  ready 
to  bear  all  the  burden,  and  let  others  reap  all  the 
benefit.  Who  ever  knew  of  such  a  friend  as  Jesus  ? 
His  friends  loved  him,  so  that  they  were  willing  to 
work  in  his  name,  and  at  last  to  die  for  his  sake. 
Jesus  was  a  master  of  men.  If  David  made  the 
kingdom  of  Israel,  Jesus  made  the  kingdom  of  God 
As  the  Review  thus  culminates  in  a  few  words 
upon  the  greatest  of  the  Heroes  of  Israel,  the  wise 
teacher  will  be  able  to  add  a  suggestion  about  fol- 
lowing Jesus  as  the  way  to  the  heroic  life. 


SOLOMON 

XXVII.    Solomon,  the  Wise  Kino 


XXVIL     SOLOMON,  THE  WISE  KING 

References: 

Stewart,  pp.  108-9. 
Tristram,  pp.  232-33. 
Price,  pp.  72,  136-39- 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Solomon,"  "Temple" 
(§2),  "Cedar,"  "Hiram,"  "Sheba,  Queen  of." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  how  a  man  who  seeks  goodness  may 
achieve  greatness. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

Solomon  was  always  regarded  by  later  Israel 
as  the  wisest  of  men.  The  story  shows  how  he 
early  sought  wisdom  for  his  kingly  duty,  and  how 
as  a  result  all  wealth  and  honor  came  to  him.  Part 
of  his  devotion  to  his  royal  duty  was  the  building 
of  the  costly  temple.  This  was  done  as  an  act  of 
religious  devotion  and  national  duty.  The  prayer 
of  Solomon  expresses  a  beautiful  sense  of  the 
spiritual  presence  of  God.  The  visit  of  the  queen 
of  Sheba  is  a  dramatic  presentation  of  the  impres- 
sion which  the  magnificent  sovereign  made  upon 
the  world. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  V.  The  real  and  tlie  ideal  Solomon. — As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact  Solomon  really  led  Israel  into  a  development 
that  was  unnatural.  He  built  up  a  splendid  court,  and 
by  the  side  of  the  costly  temple  put  up  a  far  more  costly 


172  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

palace.  His  heavy  taxation  caused  the  kingdom  to  fall 
to  pieces  at  his  death.  However,  the  reign  of  Solomon 
was  a  very  brilliant  one,  and  was  remembered  in  later 
years  as  a  time  of  national  greatness.  The  evils  were  all 
forgotten,  and  Solomon  was  thought  of  as  the  ideal  king. 
The  later  historians,  who  wrote  the  story  that  we  study, 
held  this  point  of  view.  So  far  as  the  students  are  con- 
cerned, it  will  be  best  to  keep  entirely  to  the  story,  and  to 
leave  out  of  account  all  the  unfortunate  consequences  of 
Solomon's  reign.  And  this  is  perfectly  justifiable,  because 
the  ideal  story  of  the  wise  and  wealthy  king  is  true  to 
the  facts  of  human  hfe. 

Note  W.  The  Phoenicians. — The  Phoenicians,  or 
Sidonians  as  they  are  called  in  this  story,  were  altogether 
the  most  highly  civilized  people  of  Palestine.  We  have 
already  noted  their  commercial  character.  They  traded 
with  all  the  countries  of  the  Mediterranean.  They  de- 
veloped the  arts  to  an  extraordinary  degree.  Their  own 
palaces  and  temples  were  of  great  beauty.  They  were 
not  a  fighting  race,  and  had  already  been  glad  to  make 
alliance  with  David.  They  were  still  more  willing  to 
continue  alliance  with  his  wealthy  son.  The  commerce 
of  Israel  was  very  valuable  to  Tyre  and  Sidon.  Solomon 
on  his  part  was  glad  to  make  use  of  the  skill  of  the 
Phoenicians  for  the  building  of  his  temple  and  palace. 

Note  X.  The  cedars  of  Lebanon. — In  the  Lebanon 
Mountains  to  the  north  of  Palestine  grew  the  beautiful 
lofty  cedars  that  were  so  greatly  prized  for  building 
operations.  Already,  two  thousand  years  before  the  time 
of  Solomon,  the  Pharaohs  of  Egypt  had  cut  these  timbers 
for  use  in  the  Valley  of  the  Nile.  All  the  nations  of  the 
East  looked  to  these  splendid  forests  for  the  best  build- 
ing timber   for  their  large  structures.     The   Phoenicians 


SOLOMON,  THE  WISE  KING  173 

were  skilful  woodmen,  and  knew  how  to  transport  trees 
to  the  coast,  make  them  into  rafts,  and  bear  them  again 
through  the  country.  The  forests  today  are  almost 
entirely  destroyed.  Our  picture  shows  some  of  the  few 
cedars  that  are  left. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

A  question  that  is  likely  to  excite  interest  and 
to  be  significant  is,  What  would  you  ask  for,  if  you 
could  have  anything  that  you  want?  It  may  be 
followed  with  the  question,  What  would  you  ask 
for,  if  you  knew  you  were  going  to  be  President  of 
the  United  States?  After  the  answers  have  been 
discussed,  the  class  will  be  ready  for  the  question, 
What  would  you  ask  for  if  you  were  a  new  king, 
just  succeeding  David  on  the  throne?  We  are 
going  to  see  what  David's  son  really  desired  and 
what  came  of  it. 

2go.  The  Solomon  of  the  story. — Briefly  ex- 
plain that  we  are  to  study  the  most  brilliant  of  the 
Hebrew  kings,  whom  the  later  ages  loved  to  honor. 

2QI.  Solomon's  wise  choice. — By  questions, 
draw  out  the  fact  that  Solomon  must  have  been 
wondering  what  kind  of  reign  he  would  have,  and 
this  was  a  preparation  for  the  dream  in  which  God 
offered  him  his  choice.  Make  clear  that  it  was  not 
a  general  wisdom  that  the  young  king  asked  for, 
but  the  ability  to  fulfil  his  duties  as  a  king  and  a 
judge. 

292.  The  rezvard  of  duty. — Try  to  show   the 


174  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

class  that  honor  and  wealth  are  never  to  be  sought 
for  themselves.  Just  to  wish  to  be  rich  and  to  be 
great  are  ignoble  ambitions.  The  greatest  of  men 
have  been  most  anxious  to  do  their  duty.  The  re- 
ward came  without  their  seeking  it.  Explain  to 
them  Tennyson's  fine  couplet  which  could  be  just 
as  well  applied  to  America.  Let  the  class  give 
illustrations  of  men  who  received  honor  without 
seeking  it. 

■?pj.  The  Phoenicians'  help  in  the  temple  build- 
ing.— Have  the  students  look  at  the  map.  Recall  if 
possible  what  has  been  learned  of  the  Phoenicians. 
Explain  the  value  of  the  Phoenicians'  alliance  with 
Solomon. 

2Q4.  The  cedars  of  Lebanon. — Review  briefly 
David's  subjugation  of  all  his  enemies,  that  the 
class  may  see  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  Solomon's 
reign.  Ask  them  what  kind  of  trees  are  especially 
valuable  for  great  timbers.  Explain  that  the  cedar 
belongs  to  the  same  family  as  the  pine.  Let  the 
class  explain  why  the  Phoenicians  were  engaged  to 
cut  the  trees. 

2p5.  The  transportation  of  the  cedars. — An  in- 
teresting point  of  contact  can  be  made  with  the 
students'  knowledge  of  our  modern  lumbering 
operations.  They  will  know  how  trees  are  cut  in 
forests,  floated  in  rafts  down  the  rivers  or  lakes, 
and  transported  across  the  country.  It  will  be  an 
interesting  bit  of  imagination  to  compare  this  with 
the  enormous  difficulties  of  transporting  large  tim- 
bers through  mountainous  countries,  and  through 


SOLOMON,  THE  WISE  KING  175 

the  open  sea,  in  the  days  when  there  were  no  rail- 
ways or  steam  tugs.  Do  not  miss  the  point  of  the 
interchange  of  commercial  commodities. 

2p6.  The  temple  as  a  building. — The  two  dates 
in  the  first  and  fourth  paragraphs  will  enable  the 
students  to  calculate  the  exact  time  occupied  in  the 
temple  building.  It  will  be  very  helpful  to  compare 
its  size  with  some  building  in  your  neighborhood. 
Note  the  richness  of  the  ornament  of  the  temple. 

2py.  The  dedication  of  the  temple. — The  spir- 
itual meaning  of  this  beautiful  narrative,  and  of  the 
prayer,  ought  to  be  felt  by  the  young  students.  Ask 
them  if  God  could  dwell  in  a  temple.  Of  course 
he  cannot.  But  we  can  draw  near  to  him  in  the 
house  where  we  worship  him,  and  he  will  always 
hear  our  prayer  for  forgiveness  and  strength. 

2g8.  Solomon's  thanksgiving. — Ask  the  class 
what  great  promises  had  been  given  to  the  old 
heroes,  Abraham,  Jacob,  and  Moses.  Ask  if  these 
had  been  fulfilled.  Let  them  see  that  Solomon  was 
giving  thanks  for  the  great  blessings  which  had 
come  at  last  to  Israel. 

2gp.  The  visit  of  wonder. — If  the  students  are 
reading  carefully  their  lessons  one  of  them  can 
quickly  tell  of  the  visit  of  the  queen,  which  showed 
the  impression  that  Solomon  was  making  on  the 
world. 

^00.  Solomon's  greatness. — The  story  naturally 
concludes  with  the  account  of  the  great  success  of 
the  wonderful  king. 


176  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Stunmary 

The  story  clearly  means  that  the  man  who 
wanted  ability  to  do  his  duty,  and  who  desired  to 
honor  the  Lord,  found  wealth  and  honor  for  him- 
self. 

Written  Review 

It  is  always  valuable  to  find  men  in  our  own 
day  who  exhibit  the  same  virtues  as  those  heroes 
of  the  past.  There  are  plenty  of  noble  examples 
of  those  who  have  been  supremely  anxious  to  dis- 
charge their  duties  and  have  found  honor  without 
seeking  it.  Encourage  the  students  to  make  an 
effort  to  get  material  for  such  an  account  for  the 
notebook. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
Tell  the  students  that  we  have  been  studying 
about  kings  who  led  their  people  in  the  right  way, 
but  in  the  next  lesson  we  are  going  to  see  what 
happened  when  a  king  led  them  in  a  wrong  way. 
A  different  kind  of  hero  was  needed.  Tell  them  the 
story  is  one  of  the  grandest  in  the  Bible. 


TWO  PROPHETS 

XXVIII.    Elijah,  the  Champion  of  Pure  Religion 
XXIX.    Elijah,  the  Champion  of  Justice 
XXX.    EusHA,  THE  Healer  and  Counselor 


XXVIII.    ELIJAH,  THE  CHAMPION  OF 
PURE  RELIGION 
References: 

Stewart,  pp.  72,  134-37- 
Tristram,  pp.  51,  165-67,  208-9. 

Dictionary    of   the   Bible,   articles    "Elijah,"   "Ahab," 
"Baal." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  how  a  brave   God-fearing  man  can 
lead  a  nation  to  see  the  evil  of  its  ways. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
The  kingdom  of  Israel  was  developing  in  a 
wrong  direction.  Ahab,  the  son  of  the  powerful 
king,  Omri,  was  an  able  warrior;  his  kingdom  was 
prosperous,  but  he  was  a  man  with  no  ideals.  He 
had  married  a  Phoenician  princess.  The  luxury 
and  sensuality  of  the  Phoenicians  had  been  intro- 
duced into  Israel.  Ahab  was  copying  his  wealthy 
and  idolatrous  neighbors.  Meanwhile,  in  the  desert, 
a  stern,  strong,  and  simple  man  was  thinking  over 
the  situation.  He  was  sure  that  his  people  were 
being  led  away  from  their  God  and  his  righteous- 
ness. He  became  profoundly  convinced  that  God 
was  calling  him  to  lift  up  his  voice  against  the  evils. 
He  believed  that  he  would  dare  to  announce  a 
drought  as  a  punishment  for  the  people.  It  was 
supposed  at  that  time  that  all  calamities  were  penal- 
ties for  sin.  He  penetrated  to  the  presence  of  the 
179 


l8o  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

king,  and  flung  out  his  message.  Elijah,  the 
prophet,  was  providentially  cared  for  while  Israel 
suffered  from  the  drought.  After  three  years  the 
stern  prophet  returned  to  summon  Ahab  to  a  great 
test  whether  Jehovah  or  Baal  was  to  be  followed. 
The  dramatic  test  took  place  at  Carmel.  Baal  was 
discredited  and  his  prophets  were  slain.  The 
drought  broke  in  a  wonderful  rain  storm.  Elijah's 
championship  of  Jehovah  was  sustained. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  Y.  The  divided  kingdom. — We  are  making  little 
endeavor  to  follow  the  course  of  Hebrew  history  in  these 
stories.  Each  story  really  is  complete  in  itself.  But  it 
is  well  for  the  teacher  to  realize  that  after  the  death  of 
Solomon  the  kingdom  was  divided  into  two  parts.  The 
major  portion  of  the  land  threw  off  the  sovereignty  of 
the  house  of  David,  and  chose  a  new  king  for  itself. 
This  kingdom  kept  the  name  Israel.  The  single  tribe  of 
Judah  remained  loyal  to  the  Davidic  house  and  kept  its 
own  name.  The  kings  of  the  north  were  men  without 
high  religious  ideals.  The  strongest  of  them  was  Omri. 
It  is  with  his  son,  Ahab,  that  our  story  has  to  do. 

Note  Z.  Baal  worship. — Primitive  peoples  very  often 
worshiped  the  powers  of  nature.  They  realized  the  won- 
der of  the  propagation  of  life.  They  believed  that  the 
male  and  female  principles  run  through  all  nature,  often 
identifying  the  sun  with  the  male  principle,  and  the  moon 
with  the  female.  Thus  they  worshiped  male  and  female 
deities.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  gross  immorality  might 
grow  up  about  such  worship.  The  worship  of  Baal  was 
so  unspeakably  vile  that  the  life  of  Israel  was  in  danger 
of   complete  pollution.     Added  to   this,   there   were   very 


ELIJAH,  CHAMPION  OF  PURE  RELIGION     i8i 

often  hideously  cruel  rites  connected  with  the  worship. 
Elijah  must  not  be  thought  of  as  a  bigot  fighting  for  his 
own  ideas,  but  as  a  patriot  seeking  to  save  his  nation 
from  moral  ruin. 

Note  AA.  The  Hebrew  prophet. — The  prophet  was 
very  much  more  than  a  predictor.  "Prophet"  really  means 
spokesman.  He  was  the  man  who  spoke  for  God.  He 
was  the  preacher  of  his  day.  Beginning  with  Elijah, 
there  was  a  succession  of  eloquent  preachers,  who  spoke 
for  national  and  social  righteousness.  We  do  not  include 
many  of  these  preachers  in  our  hero  stories  because  we 
have  no  account  of  their  lives.  Their  brilliant  sermons 
are  too  difficult  for  young  students  to  read.  It  might  be 
well  for  them  to  know,  however,  that  Israel  had  a  score 
of  heroes  of  the  same  spirit  and  power  as  Elijah. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

JO/.  Raise  the  question  whether  a  preacher 
needs  to  be  a  brave  man.  In  a  town  in  one  of  our 
Middle  States  a  large  part  of  the  population  en- 
gaged in  a  lynching.  The  preacher  on  Sunday 
morning  told  them  that  they  were  cowards  and  law 
breakers.  Was  that  a  brave  act?  Ask  the  mem- 
bers of  the  class  if  they  have  ever  heard  of  Martin 
Luther.  Draw  out  from  them  or  tell  the  story  of 
Savonarola.  Explain  that  we  are  to  study  one  of 
the  heroes  of  Israel  who  was  a  preacher.  And 
draw  from  them  that  the  preacher  in  that  day  was 
called  a  prophet. 

^02.  The  Baal  worship. — We  shall  see  the  kind 
of  king  whom  Elijah  had  to  meet.    Explain  that  he 


1 82  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

had  married  a  princess  of  those  Phoenicians  whom 
we  have  studied.  Find  their  territory  on  the  map 
and  recall  what  we  have  learned  about  them.  Ex- 
plain that  they  were  idolaters,  and  tell  something  of 
the  nature  of  their  idolatry.  Ask  if  Ahab  ought  to 
have  married  a  princess  of  that  land.  Of  course, 
if  he  married  her  he  must  let  her  keep  her  own 
religion,  but  did  he  need  to  adopt  it  himself  and 
make  it  popular  among  his  people?  Be  sure  that 
the  class  sees  the  dramatic  contrast  between  the 
luxurious  king  in  his  splendid  palace  and  the  rudely 
clad  prophet  from  the  desert. 

joj.  Elijah  at  the  brook. — This  story  is  long 
and  the  less  important  parts  should  be  told  very 
briefly.  Do  not  raise  the  question  about  the 
drought  being  sent  as  punishment.  If  the  students 
ask,  explain  that  it  was  the  old  conception  of 
natural  calamities.  Encourage  the  class  to  be  able 
to  give  the  points  of  the  story  vividly  and  rapidly. 

^04.  The  widow's  cake. — The  map  may  be  used 
to  indicate  the  journey.  Start  from  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  and  go  across  to  Zarephath.  Draw  out  the 
story  quickly. 

^0^.  The  widow's  son. — This  also  should  be 
briefly  treated. 

50(5.  The  result  of  the  drought. — Let  the  class 
explain  the  terrible  condition  produced  by  the  three- 
years'  drought. 

^oy.  Elijah  and  Obadiah. — There  is  a  good  con- 
trast to  be  made  between  these  two.  Obadiah  was 
a  worthy.  God-fearing  man  but  very  timid. 


ELIJAH,  CHAMPION  OF  PURE  RELIGION     183 

^08.  The  scene  at  Carmel. — The  dramatic 
character  of  this  wonderful  story  is  a  large  part  of 
its  power.  The  teacher  should  thoroughly  think 
out  the  scene  in  advance,  and  be  able,  by  appropri- 
ate questions,  to  draw  out  its  chief  features  from 
the  class.  Especially  make  clear  the  meaning  of 
Elijah's  question.  The  people  were  to  be  com- 
pelled to  make  a  decision. 

^og.  The  frenzy  of  the  Baal  prophets. — The 
utter  failure  of  these  prophets  to  secure  any  re- 
sponse from  their  dumb  god  is  the  point  of  the 
narrative.  Practice  the  proper  tone  of  irony  with 
which  Elijah  must  have  mocked  them. 

5/0.  Elijah's  prayer. — Note  the  great  change  in 
the  prophet's  manner.  He  was  going  to  call  upon 
the  one  true  God  to  hear  him.  Let  the  class  feel 
the  solemn  character  of  his  preparation  for  the 
sacrifice.  Read  to  them  the  noble  prayer,  and  read 
it  well.  Let  the  whole  class  recite  it  solemnly 
together. 

jii.  The  slaughter  of  the  Baal  prophets. — Of 
course  this  was  a  horrible  carnage.  The  class 
ought  to  understand  that  these  men  were  deceiving 
the  people,  and  that  Elijah  was  following  the  prac- 
tice of  those  days.  We  would  not  kill  people  today, 
even  if  they  were  false  preachers. 

^12.  The  coming  of  the  rain. — The  dramatic 
events  which  closed  that  great  day  at  Carmel  can 
be  drawn  out  quickly  from  the  students.  Let 
them  especially  see  Elijah's  spirit  of  supplication 
for  his  people  that  led  him  to  prayer  while  others 


i84  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

feasted,  and  then  his  great  excitement  which  made 
him  run  as  courier  before  the  king's  chariot. 

Svimmary 
The  story  reveals  the  tremendous  power  of  a 
man  of  conviction.  We  have  noted  Savonarola 
and  Luther.  Let  the  members  of  the  class  suggest 
any  others  of  whom  they  think.  They  will  prob- 
ably have  studied  John  the  Baptist.  They  ought  to 
be  able  to  see  that  Jesus  had  the  same  courage  as 
Elijah,  though  he  was  of  a  more  gentle  spirit. 
There  will  probably  be  local  examples  of  bravery 
which  may  be  suggested.  It  is  always  well  to  see 
the  virtues  of  these  heroes  in  common  life.  The 
nobility  of  trusting  in  God,  and  belief  in  the  right 
against  any  odds,  are  the  thoughts  that  should 
remain  with  the  students. 

Written  Review 
If  the  imagination  of  the  students  can  be  suffi- 
ciently kindled,  so  that  they  can  feel  themselves 
present  at  the  dramatic  scene  on  Carmel,  they  may 
be  able  to  do  the  review  quite  well.  Encourage 
them  to  do  a  bit  of  original  story-telling.  If,  how- 
ever, the  teacher  feels  that  this  review  is  too 
difficult  they  may  be  asked  to  write  about  someone 
whom  they  have  known,  who  stood  for  the  truth 
against  heavy  odds. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
Do   you    suppose   that    such   a   man   as   Ahab 
entirely  changed  his  conduct?    We  shall  find  that 


ELIJAH,  CHAMPION  OF  PURE  RELIGION     185 

he  went  right  on  with  his  wickedness.  We  have 
seen  that  EHjah  stood  against  him  when  he  was 
false  to  his  reHgion.  We  shall  see  in  the  next 
lesson  what  Elijah  did  when  the  king  thought  him- 
self safe  after  murdering  a  man  and  stealing  his 
property.. 


XXIX.    ELIJAH,  THE  CHAMPION  OF 
JUSTICE 
References: 

Stewart,  p.  125. 

Dictionary    of   the   BihUj   articles   "Elijah,"    "Ahab," 
"Jezebel,"  "Jezreel,"  "Naboth." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  how  a  brave  man  may  come  through 
discouragement  and  be  prepared  for  a  new  con- 
test, and  how  God  takes  care  of  him  through  it  all. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
In  very  striking  contrast,  there  is  presented  to 
us  the  failure  of  Elijah's  bold  endeavor.  The 
drought  was  ended,  the  people  forgot  its  meaning, 
Ahab  was  entirely  under  the  influence  of  Jezebel, 
and  there  seemed  no  hope  of  a  national  revival. 
Elijah  fell  into  complete  discouragement.  He  fled 
for  his  life  into  the  wilderness,  and  then  to  Mount 
Sinai.  He  wanted  to  be  sure  that  there  was  one 
place  where  he  could  find  God.  The  Lord  very 
graciously  comforted  him,  showed  him  the  im- 
portance of  patience,  and  gave  him  a  young 
prophet  to  be  his  friend  and  successor.  Soon  there 
arose  another  opportunity  for  boldness.  Ahab  was 
guilty  of  a  piece  of  shameful  tyranny  against  a 
man  who  could  not  resist.  Elijah  appeared  upon 
the  scene  and  denounced  the  king  and  his  queen. 
If  they  thought  the  prophet  had  been  afraid  of 
i86 


ELIJAH,  CHAMPION  OF  JUSTICE  187 

them,  they  were  soon  undeceived.  The  last  scene  in 
Elijah's  life  seems  to  fit  his  stormy  character,  for 
he  is  swept  up  to  heaven  in  the  mountain  storm, 
leaving  Elisha  behind  him  to  carry  on  his  work. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

The  students  may  be  brought  to  an  apprecia- 
tion of  the  lesson  by  the  questions:  Can  a  brave 
man  ever  be  afraid?  Is  it  ever  right  to  run  away? 
Let  us  see  if  Elijah  was  justified  in  taking  flight. 

jjj.  Elijah's  hope. — Recall  rapidly  the  victory 
of  Elijah  over  the  prophets  of  Baal.  Show  that 
Ahab  must  have  been  very  much  troubled  over  the 
slaughter  of  his  friends.  Ask  if  it  would  be  natural 
for  Elijah  to  expect  the  people  to  give  up  Baal 
after  such  a  wonderful  scene.  But  show  that 
people  are  often  moved  to  repentance  by  excite- 
ment, and  then  go  back  to  their  sins  when  the 
excitement  is  over. 

^14.  Elijah's  disappointment. — See  that  the  an- 
swers to  the  questions  in  the  book  bring  out  the 
fact  that  Jezebel  was  the  real  power  in  Israel,  so 
that  Elijah  saw  that  he  could  not  succeed.  Have 
the  students  find  Jezreel  above  the  middle  of  the 
map,  and  then  Beersheba  in  the  southwest  corner. 
Draw  from  them  that  Elijah  needed  food  and 
sleep,  and  that  the  Lord  kindly  gave  him  these 
before  he  told  him  of  his  duty. 

J75.  Elijah  at  Sinai. — On  the  map  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  book  notice  the  desert  journey  from 


l88  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Beersheba  to  Mount  Sinai.  Use  the  opportunity 
to  recall  that  Moses  led  the  people  to  this  mountain. 
It  may  be  difficult  for  the  students  to  understand 
the  parable  that  was  acted  before  Elijah.  Explain 
that  his  troubled  spirit  was  not  softened  by  the 
wind,  the  earthquake,  or  the  fire,  but  that  he  heard 
God  in  the  still  small  voice.  So  God  would  tell 
him  that  the  nation  could  not  be  saved  by  slaughter- 
ing false  prophets.  He  must  have  patience. 
Hazael,  the  new  king  of  Syria,  would  help  to  get 
rid  of  the  idolatry  by  his  wars  against  Israel. 
Jehu,  the  new  king  of  Israel,  would  help  also  to 
bring  it  about,  and  Elisha,  the  prophet  who  should 
succeed  Elijah,  would  have  his  part  in  the  purifica- 
tion. So  great  things  take  time.  Ask  the  class 
why  slavery  was  not  ended  in  a  day,  and  why  the 
liquor  traffic  has  not  yet  been  destroyed,  and  why 
gambling  and  prize-fighting  have  not  been  stopped. 
We  must  never  give  up  trying  to  overcome  evils, 
but  we  must  not  be  discouraged  if  we  do  not  suc- 
ceed at  once. 

J7(5.  The  seven  thousand. — It  is  very  important 
that  the  young  people  shall  not  think  that  the  good 
man  is  always  alone.  They  always  suppose  that 
if  they  should  refuse  to  cheat  at  school  or  engage 
in  some  evil  practice,  they  would  be  alone.  There 
are  generally  more  good  people  than  we  think. 
Let  them  see  how  surprised  Elijah  must  have  been 
when  he  found  that  there  were  seven  thousand 
who  had  never  followed  the  Baal  worship. 

577.  The  call  of  Elisha. — This  may  be  treated 
briefly. 


ELIJAH,  CHAMPION  OF  JUSTICE  189 

^18.  Ahah's  meanness. — Ask  the  class  what  the 
king  and  queen  probably  thought  of  Elijah  after  he 
had  disappeared.  They  were  living  their  comfort- 
able life,  supposing  that  the  troublesome  prophet 
was  gone  forever.  Very  likely  Jezebel  said  with  a 
good  laugh,  "I  frightened  him  out  of  the  land."' 
Let  the  students  see  that  the  king  was  laying  out 
his  grounds  and  needed  Naboth's  vineyard  to  com- 
plete them.  Naboth  was  not  mean  about  it,  but 
he  could  not  bear  to  sell  the  land  that  had  come 
down  to  him  from  his  ancestors.  Let  the  class  dis- 
cuss the  littleness  of  the  king  in  getting  sick  over 
the  matter,  and  the  wickedness  of  Jezebel  in  her 
promise. 

^iQ.  Jezebel's  plot. — Explain  the  meanness  of 
pretending  to  do  honor  to  Naboth  by  making  him 
preside  over  the  meeting  at  which  he  was  to  be 
falsely  accused.  The  law  required  two  witnesses. 
Let  the  students  tell  how  the  plot  worked. 

^20.  Ahah's  satisfaction. — The  king  willingly 
accepted  the  result  of  his  wife's  plot.  Let  the  class 
see  the  weakness  of  his  wickedness. 

321.  Elijah's  sudden  appearances. — Recall  the 
suddenness  of  Elijah's  first  appearance.  Let  the 
class  see  that  Ahab  was  delighted  with  his  new 
possession  and  never  thought  of  the  consequences. 
Give  them  some  illustrations  of  the  way  in  which 
conscience  sometimes  startles  a  man. 

^22.  Elijah,  the  champion  of  the  weak. — By 
skilful  questions  draw  out  from  the  class  the  king's 
feeling  of  safety  that  there  was  nobody  to  interfere 
with  him,  and  the  courage  of  Elijah  who  dared  to 


I90  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

speak  to  him  so  sternly.  Ahab  did  not  dare  to  kill 
the  prophet.  So  many  a  bold  man  has  been  saved 
by  his  very  boldness.  Let  them  see  carefully  that 
the  bravest  of  all  brave  acts  is  for  the  strong  to 
defend  the  weak. 

5^j.  Elijah's  departure. — Let  the  students  bring 
out  the  details  of  this  grand  narrative.  The 
prophet  feels  that  he  is  to  leave.  He  wants  to  save 
his  young  companion  from  seeing  the  departure. 
But  Elisha  also  has  a  premonition  that  the  end  is 
near  and  will  not  let  his  master  go  alone.  Elisha 
is  brave  enough  to  continue  to  the  last. 

J24.  The  nezv  prophet. — When  a  great  man  dies 
it  never  seems  as  if  anyone  can  carry  on  his  work. 
We  shall  see  what  Elisha  could  do. 

Summary 

Elijah  might  be  discouraged,  but  he  could  never 
be  defeated.  Jezebel  had  threatened  his  life,  but 
he  was  ready  to  return  and  to  defy  the  king  and 
queen  when  they  opposed  the  poor  man.  It  is 
much  easier  to  be  brave  in  an  army  or  a  campaign. 
Bravery  becomes  sublime  when  it  is  utterly  un- 
selfish, when  the  hero  is  taking  the  risk  alone. 
Elijah  is  one  of  the  grand  characters  of  the  Hebrew 
history. 

Written  Review 

Let  the  students  see  clearly  that  Ahab  was  in 
this  instance  a  bully.  They  will  understand  that 
better  than  a  tyrant.  Encourage  them  to  discuss 
in  their  papers  the  difference  between  the  hero  and 
the  bully  as  they  have  seen  them. 


XXX.    ELISHA,  THE  HEALER  AND 
COUNSELOR 
References: 

Stewart,  pp.  291-95. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Elisha,"  "Naaman," 
"Gehazi." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  see  the  heroism  of  helpfulness. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

Elisha  lived  during  very  troublous  times  in 
Israel.  The  Syrians  brought  the  kingdom  into 
great  w^eakness.  It  was  his  duty  to  be  a  comforter, 
to  encourage  the  kings  to  believe  that  all  would 
come  out  well.  He  was  called  to  be  a  healer  and 
a  counselor.  We  have  a  great  many  stories  of 
Elisha.  There  are  more  miracle  stories  connected 
with  his  name  than  with  any  other  man  in  the  Old 
Testament.  This  evidently  shows  that  he  must  have 
been  a  very  kindly  and  helpful  man  so  that  the 
wonderful  stories  grew  up  about  his  name.  We 
select  from  the  many  stories  the  four  that  are  most 
significant.  The  payment  of  the  widow's  debt 
illustrates  his  kindly  helpfulness  to  those  in  need. 
The  healing  of  the  leper  shows  his  wonderful  faith, 
his  power  with  men,  and  that  same  stern  opposition 
to  evil  which  his  great  master,  Elijah,  manifested. 
The  story  of  the  capture  of  the  Syrian  soldiers  is 
191 


192  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

very  suggestive  of  the  spiritual  fact  of  God's 
omnipotent  care  of  his  own  servants.  The  last 
message  to  the  king  shows  the  old  prophet  still 
anxious  to  stir  the  king  to  activity  and  faith. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTE 
Note  BB.  The  kingdom  of  Syria. — If  we  recall 
David's  defeat  of  the  Syrians  at  Damascus  we  shall  re- 
member that  that  people  were  just  establishing  their  king- 
dom in  David's  time.  In  later  years  they  gathered  strength. 
By  the  time  of  Elisha,  Syria  was  the  most  powerful 
kingdom  west  of  the  Euphrates.  It  was  very  natural 
that  the  Syrians  should  make  war  upon  their  neighbors. 
Unfortunate  Israel,  therefore,  suffered  very  severely.  It 
is  likely  that  a  heavy  tribute  had  to  be  paid  and  that  many 
slaves  were  taken  to  Damascus.  Elisha  was  the  adviser 
during  all  the  times  of  the  Syrian  wars.  His  last  counsel 
was  that  the  king  should  be  strong  to  conquer  those 
troublesome  enemies,  and  soon  after  Elisha's  death  the 
Syrians  were  subdued. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

5^5.  It  would  be  a  good  beginning  if  the  teacher 
or  the  class  could  think  of  some  person  of  the  com- 
munity holding  an  important  position  who  had 
died  and  had  been  followed  by  some  efficient  suc- 
cessor, or  of  some  person  who  had  resigned  and 
had  been  succeeded  by  an  able  occupant  of  the 
office.  Tell  them  of  the  great  missionary  who  said : 
"God  takes  the  workers,  but  the  work  goes  on."  It 
might  have  seemed  that  nobody  could  succeed 
Elijah.    As  a  matter  of  fact,  Elisha  was  the  man 


ELISHA,  HEALER  AND  COUNSELOR       193 

that  was  more  needed  for  the  new  work  that  was 
to  be  done.  Elijah  did  his  part,  Elisha  did  his.  So 
we  are  never  called  to  fill  another's  place.  Each  of 
us  has  a  place  of  his  own. 

J26.  The  widow's  debt. — Explain  that  it  was 
the  old  custom  that  if  a  man  could  not  pay  his 
debt,  he  or  his  family  could  be  sold  into  slavery. 
This  widow  was  confronted  with  the  calamity  of 
losing  the  sons  that  were  to  be  her  support.  The 
students  can  easily  tell  the  story.  The  people  re- 
membered a  great  many  of  these  stories  of  Elisha's 
help  to  those  that  were  in  trouble. 

j^/.  Naaman  the  leper. — Explain  to  the  class 
how  the  Syrian  kingdom  had  grown,  and  had  be- 
come strong  and  the  oppressor  of  Israel.  Ask  the 
class  whether  a  girl  stolen  from  her  own  land  and 
sold  into  slavery  would  be  likely  to  be  sorry  for  her 
heathen  master.  This  little  Hebrew  maid  must 
have  been  tender-hearted.  Let  the  class  realize 
what  a  grand  visit  Naaman  made  to  Israel,  with 
costly  presents  and  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the 
king. 

^28.  Elisha's  strange  directions. — If  you  re- 
member that  the  Syrians  were  stronger  than  Israel, 
you  can  see  that  the  king  of  Israel  thought  that  his 
enemy  was  trying  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  him.  How 
could  he  heal  leprosy!  Let  the  students  feel  the 
embarrassment  of  the  situation.  Then  let  them  see 
the  faith  of  the  prophet  who  knew  that  God  was 
with  him.  Vivid  description  is  important  to  make 
these  stories  real.    Let  the  teacher  not  be  afraid  of 


194  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

using  the  imagination.  The  scene  might  be  de- 
scribed in  this  way :  "Elisha  is  living  quietly  in  his 
own  little  home  with  his  single  servant  Gehazi. 
Suddenly  a  great  noise  is  heard.  A  number  of 
richly-dressed  servants  are  running  into  the  town 
shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  'Make  way  for 
my  lord  Naaman!'  They  are  followed  by  a  num- 
ber of  soldiers  on  horseback  with  glittering  spears. 
After  these  are  camels,  heavily  laden,  their  great 
packs  filled  with  costly  stuffs  and  goods.  At  last 
comes  the  great  general  himself  in  his  splendid 
robes,  riding  in  a  chariot.  The  whole  cavalcade 
comes  to  a  halt  at  the  door  of  Elisha.  Naaman 
looks  haughtily  toward  the  little  house  expecting 
that  the  prophet  will  come  forth  and  bow  before 
him.  He  is  accustomed  to  receive  the  homage  of 
all  inferior  men.  But  soon  a  messenger  comes  out 
of  the  house  and  gives  the  great  man  some  direc- 
tions for  his  cure.  And  they  seem  to  be  very 
absurd  directions.  Naaman  flies  into  a  great  rage 
and  commands  his  chariot  to  move  forward."  At 
this  point  the  students  will  have  come  into  the 
spirit  of  the  story  and  will  be  able  to  carry  on  its 
details.  Note  that  Naaman  speaks  of  the  rivers 
of  Damascus  which  have  always  been  noted  for 
their  beauty. 

j^p.  Naaman' s  gratitude. — It  was  a  very  differ- 
ent company  that  came  back  to  the  prophet's 
house.  All  the  pride  of  the  state  exhibition  was 
there  still,  but  the  general  was  a  humble  man.  Be 
sure  that  the  class  understands  why  Elisha  would 


ELISHA,  HEALER  AND  COUNSELOR       195 

not  receive  a  present.  Religion  has  been  sadly  hurt 
by  the  men  who  are  always  wanting  fees  for  every- 
thing they  do.  Note  that  Naaman  wanted  to  take 
some  of  the  sacred  earth  of  Palestine  in  order  to 
make  an  altar  to  the  God  of  Israel  in  his  own  land. 

2^0.  Gehazi's  punishment. — We  see  the  spirit 
of  greed :  how  Gehazi  thought  it  would  be  too  bad 
to  let  an  opportunity  for  gain  go  by.  It  will  be  a 
good  lesson  to  note  the  steps  in  the  wretched  man's 
fall.  First  he  is  covetous.  Then  he  plans  a  lie  to 
tell  Naaman.  Then  he  must  deceive  his  master  by 
taking  the  present  from  the  servants  before  they 
reach  the  house  and  concealing  it.  Then,  when  he 
is  challenged,  he  must  answer  with  a  lie.  Let  the 
class  see  that  simple  straightforward  honesty  is  the 
only  safe  road  in  life. 

55/.  ElisJia's  good  counsel. — Explain  that  the 
wisdom  of  Elisha  enabled  him  to  advise  the  king 
regarding  the  movements  of  the  Syrian  army.  The 
Syrian  king  at  last  decided  to  capture  the  man  who 
was  so  dangerous.  If  the  map  is  consulted  it  will 
be  seen  how  far  into  Israel  the  Syrians  came,  and 
how  near  to  Samaria,  which  was  the  capital. 

5J2.  The  unseen  defenders. — The  great  moral 
heroes  have  never  been  afraid.  When  Luther  was 
advised  not  to  go  to  Worms,  where  he  was  in 
danger  of  the  whole  power  of  the  empire,  he 
said  he  would  go  though  there  were  as  many  devils 
as  there  were  chimneys  on  the  housetops.  Lincoln 
was  told  that  he  would  never  reach  Washington 
alive,  but  he  went  fearlessly  to  his  duty.    Jesus  was 


196  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

advised  not  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  but  he  never  fal- 
tered. All  these  heroes  believed  that  God's  power 
was  about  them.  Heroes  have  not  always  been  pre- 
served, of  course,  but  they  have  always  believed 
that,  if  it  were  best,  God  would  save  them.  Show 
the  class  how  beautifully  this  great  truth  is  pictured 
in  this  story  where  the  servant's  eyes  are  opened 
to  see  the  unseen  army  of  the  Lord. 

233-  Elisha's  generosity. — There  has  been  much 
discussion  as  to  whether  Elisha  told  the  truth.  We 
may  be  very  sure  that  the  Syrians  did  not  think 
that  they  had  been  seriously  deceived  when  they 
found  how  it  all  turned  out.  Ask  the  class  what  a 
king  would  naturally  do  when  he  found  his  enemy 
in  his  power.  But  Elisha  reminds  him  that  he 
would  not  slay  his  own  prisoners  in  cold  blood, 
still  less  those  who  had  been  conducted  under 
promise  of  security.  Show  the  magnanimity  of 
Elisha's  conduct. 

334.  The  how  and  arrows. — The  prophets  were 
very  fond  of  using  illustrations  to  carry  out  their 
ideas.  The  class  may  give  quickly  this  story.  Then 
ask  them  how  many  times  a  real  hero  is  willing  to 
try.  Perhaps  some  of  them  remember  the  story  of 
Bruce  and  the  spider,  or  they  will  be  able  to  tell 
of  success  that  has  come  to  young  people,  or  to 
older,  by  trying  again  and  again  and  yet  again. 

The  daring  men  like  Elijah  seem  to  be  heroes 
rather  than  the  kindly,  helpful  men  like  Elisha. 
We  must  not  forget  that  there  are  many  kinds  of 
heroes.    It  is  probable  that  Israel  would  have  gone 


ELISHA.  HEALER  AND  COUNSELOR       197 

to  pieces  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  strong,  patient 
service  of  Elisha.  The  class  can  name  some  heroes 
in  its  own  community  who  are  doing  good  in  a 
helpful  way. 

Written  Review 
Tell  the  class  to  be  sure  to  find  out  from  some- 
body the  facts  about  the  hero  of  helpfulness.  If 
the  students  try  hard  enough  they  can  learn  of 
some  noble  men  or  women  who  may  not  have  had 
a  great  place,  but  who  made  a  deep  impression  as 
healers  or  counselors. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
If  the  times  of  Elisha  were  troublous,  what 
shall  we  think  of  a  time  when  the  enemies  of  the 
Jews  had  destroyed  their  city  and  carried  the  people 
into  captivity?  We  are  to  study  in  the  next 
lesson  a  hero  who  came  to  his  people  at  the  lowest 
point  of  their  fortunes,  and  helped  them  to  a  new 
start. 


PATRIOTS  IN  TROUBLOUS  TIMES 

XXXI.  Nehemiah,  the  Buildek 

XXXII.  Esther,  the  Patriot  Queen 

XXXIII.  Judas,  the  Hammerer 

XXXIV  Daniel  and  His  Friends 


XXXI.     NEHEMIAH,  THE  BUILDER 

References: 

Price,  pp.  279-90. 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Nehemiah,"  "Jeru- 
salem" (§4),  "Persia,"  "Sanballat,"  "Samari- 
tans." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  the  value  of  shrewd,  courageous,  patient 
persistence  in  a  good  undertaking. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
We  pass  over  nearly  four  hundred  years  of 
Hebrew  history  since  the  last  lesson.  The  aim  of 
this  course  is  not  to  teach  the  history  of  the  Hebrew- 
people,  but  to  select  a  few  of  the  striking  heroes. 
During  these  four  hundred  years  some  of  the  great- 
est men  of  the  Hebrew  race  lived  and  worked. 
They  were  the  prophets,  but  we  do  not  possess  the 
stories  of  the  prophets  in  simple  form,  as  in  these 
other  hero  stories.  We  have  their  sermons  and 
speeches.  These  are  too  difficult  for  young  stu- 
dents to  read.  It  will  be  best  for  them  to  wait  for 
a  few  years  before  they  make  a  study  of  the  proph- 
ets, who  were  indeed  the  greatest  of  the  heroes  of 
Israel.  We  pass  then  to  a  time  when  the  city 
which  David  had  conquered  and  the  temple  which 
Solomon  had  built  were  destroyed  by  enemies. 
The  Jews  were  carried  away  into  captivity.     A 


202  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

miserable  remnant  alone  was  left  in  the  land  and 
the  city  was  desolate.  For  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  this  desolation  continued.  Pious  Jews  in  the 
East  never  forgot  the  city  of  their  fathers.  At 
last  one  of  them,  a  prominent  official  of  the  Per- 
sian court,  obtained  permission  to  go  to  Jerusalem 
and  to  rebuild  the  wall.  That  was  necessary  in 
order  that  the  city  might  be  free  from  attack,  and 
the  inhabitants  have  an  opportunity  of  growth  and 
prosperity.  This  man,  Nehemiah,  in  spite  of  the 
danger  in  obtaining  the  permission,  the  discourage- 
ment of  the  feeble  people  in  Jerusalem,  the  scorn, 
the  opposition,  and  the  plots  of  enemies,  carried 
through  his  enterprise,  and  gave  the  Jews  once 
more  a  secure  capital.  He  started  them  on  a  new 
career  of  prosperity,  so  that  he  was  looked  upon 
by  later  generations  as  the  builder  of  the  nation. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  CC.  The  captivity. — The  people  of  the  north- 
ern kingdom  were  first  carried  away  into  captivity  and 
later  the  people  of  Jerusalem  and  Judah.  These  latter 
were  taken  to  Babylonia,  the  original  home  of  Abraham. 
In  the  course  of  time  they  spread  all  over  the  eastern 
empire.  They  entered  into  business  and  many  of  them 
became  quite  wealthy.  Some  attained  to  high  positions. 
Very  naturally,  therefore,  they  remained  in  the  eastern 
lands  instead  of  returning,  when  it  was  permitted,  to  the 
desolate  city  of  Jerusalem. 

Note  DD.  The  kingdom  of  Persia. — It  was  the  Baby- 
lonian empire  which  carried  the  Jews  into  captivity.    This 


NEHEMIAH,  THE  BUILDER  203 

government  was  overthrown  by  Cyrus,  the  king  of  Per- 
sia, and  the  great  Persian  empire  succeeded  to  all  that 
Babylon  had  owned.  The  Jews  were  very  well  treated 
by  the  Persians,  and  so  felt  all  the  more  at  home  under 
that  government.  Cyrus  gave  permission  to  the  Jews  to 
return  to  Jerusalem  if  they  desired,  but  very  few  of 
them  had  taken  advantage  of  that  opportunity.  In  the 
time  of  Nehemiah  the  wealth  and  learning  of  Judaism 
were  all  in  the  East.  Jerusalem  was  in  a  very  low  con- 
dition. And  yet  the  Jews  were  intensely  interested  in 
the  home  of  their  fathers.  Nobody  knew  just  what 
ought  to  be  done  to  improve  conditions  in  the  homeland. 
Note  EE.  The  Samaritans. — When  the  northern  king- 
dom was  carried  into  captivity  people  from  the  East  were 
taken  to  Israel  and  settled  in  that  land.  These  inter- 
married with  the  Israelites,  making  a  mongrel  population. 
Because  Samaria  was  the  capital  of  the  old  kingdom  this 
mixed  population  were  known  as  Samaritans.  They  were 
very  jealous  of  the  Jews,  and,  as  we  see  in  the  story,  very 
much  opposed  to  any  enterprise  that  sought  the  advan- 
tage of  the  Jews. 

Note  FF.  The  Book  of  Nehemiah. — This  book  is  of 
especial  interest  because  it  is  the  personal  narrative  of 
the  vigorous  governor  who  built  the  walls.  In  his 
straightforward,  simple  style  he  tells  us  exactly  what  he 
did,  how  he  prayed,  how  he  planned,  how  he  succeeded. 
If  it  sometimes  seems  as  if  he  were  a  little  boastful,  we 
must  remember  that  he  is  telling  the  story  just  as  it 
happened,  simply  desiring  that  posterity  shall  know  the 
facts.  We  should  be  greatly  the  losers  if  there  had  not 
been  kept  for  us  this  valuable  personal  account  of  this 
great  man. 


204  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

JJ5.  The  teacher  may  ask,  "Suppose  I  should 
do  a  very  heroic  deed  and  then  should  write  an 
account  of  it  and  send  it  to  the  newspapers,  what 
would  you  think  of  me?  It  would  seem  to  be  very 
boastful,  would  it  not?  But  suppose  I  should  do 
something  very  important  for  the  nation  which 
ought  to  be  known  as  a  part  of  the  national  history, 
do  you  think  it  might  be  proper  for  me  to  write  an 
account,  so  that  future  generations  might  have  the 
story?  Would  we  not  be  very  glad  if  we  had 
Washington's  own  account  of  the  Revolutionary 
War?  Of  course  we  have  a  great  deal  of  it  in  his 
letters,  but  he  never  wrote  a  book  about  it.  Some 
noble  men  have  written  their  recollections  of  the 
great  deeds  in  which  they  have  been  engaged."  Be 
sure  that  the  students  understand  the  word  "Mem- 
oirs." We  have  been  studying  about  a  number  of 
the  heroes  of  Israel,  but  we  have  never  yet  had  the 
story  from  the  hero  himself.  We  are  now  going  to 
study  Nehemiah's  own  account  of  his  enterprises. 

55(5.  Nehemiah  the  patriot. — Ask:  What  is  a 
patriot?  Then  ask  the  members  of  the  class  if  they 
are  all  patriots.  Ask  them  how  much  it  costs  them. 
Ask  if  it  ever  cost  anybody  anything  to  be  a  patriot. 
Then  make  clear  to  them  the  condition  of  the  Jews 
in  Babylon  and  Persia  after  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years'  captivity.  Ask  how  many  of  the  class  are 
at  least  the  great-grandchildren  of  foreigners.  Of 
course  they  do  not  feel  any  patriotism  toward  the 


NEHEMIAH,  THE  BUILDER  205 

old  land  of  their  great-grandparents.  That  is  long 
since  forgotten.  But,  of  course,  their  people  came 
willingly  to  the  new  land.  The  Jews  were  taken 
captive.  Yet  the  Jews  had  become  very  comfort- 
able in  the  East,  while  Jerusalem  had  become  more 
and  more  miserable.  It  is  very  touching,  therefore, 
to  realize  that  they  still  loved  Jerusalem.  Nehe- 
miah  differed  from  most  of  them,  however,  for  he 
was  the  man  who  was  willing  to  show  his  love  by 
deeds. 

jj/.  The  sad  news. — Let  the  students  consult 
the  map.  Ask  them  where  Abraham  came  from, 
and  let  them  see  that  Susa  is  even  farther  from 
Palestine,  Picture  vividly  the  condition  of  Jerusa- 
lem as  it  was  reported  to  Nehemiah,  Note  Nehe- 
miah's  religious  feeling.  Be  sure  that  the  students 
refer  back  to  ^  62  on  p,  67  of  their  books.  It  is 
always  a  good  plan  to  link  the  stories  together  by 
these  common  points. 

3^8.  Nehemiah's  request. — Let  the  students  re- 
call what  happened  to  the  Egyptian  butler  because 
he  offended  the  king.  They  will  thus  be  able  to  see 
how  careful  Nehemiah  had  to  be.  Point  out  that 
he  was  so  wise  that  he  was  able  to  obtain  leave  of 
absence,  permission  to  rebuild  the  wall,  and  an  order 
on  the  king's  representatives  for  all  the  material 
needed  both  for  the  wall  and  for  his  own  house. 

2^g.  Nehemiah's  triumph. — Let  the  students 
use  the  map  and  refer  back  to  Abraham's  journey 
and  see  that  it  was  along  the  same  route,  up  the 
Euphrates,    and    then    down    through    Syria,   that 


2o6  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Nehemiah  and  his  soldiers  had  to  go.  The  fol- 
lowing questions  may  be  used  to  advantage:  In 
what  condition  would  Nehemiah  find  Jerusalem 
when  he  reached  it?  Suppose  the  City  of  New 
York  had  been  laid  in  ruins  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  and  nothing  had  been  done  with  the 
rubbish  since,  what  condition  would  it  be  in  now? 
Jerusalem  had  been  waste  as  long  as  that.  What 
would  be  the  wise  thing  for  Nehemiah  to  do  before 
suggesting  to  the  people  that  they  should  build? 
Show  how  carefully  he  found  out  the  exact  facts. 

240.  Nehemiah's  encouragement. — The  impor- 
tant point  is  that  the  man  who  had  just  come  was 
full  of  hope,  cheered  the  people,  and  told  them 
that  the  thing  could  be  done. 

^41.  The  first  opposition — scorn. — Explain 
briefly  who  the  Samaritans  were,  that  they  were 
jealous  of  the  Jews,  and  despised  them.  Draw  out 
from  the  class — what  its  members  also  very  well 
understand — that  it  is  hard  to  be  laughed  at. 

^42.  The  second  opposition — violence. — This  is 
a  bit  of  very  vivid  description  that  the  students 
ought  to  be  able  to  reproduce.  The  workmen  had 
to  be  ever  on  the  watch,  ready  to  drop  their  tools 
at  any  moment  and  take  their  weapons.  When 
people  cannot  stop  us  by  laughing  at  us,  they  often 
try  to  do  so  by  force. 

5^j.  The  third  opposition — falsehood. — When 
people  cannot  stop  us  by  force,  they  begin  to  slan- 
der us.  Let  the  students  see  that  Nehemiah  met 
these  three  very  trying  oppositions  with  calmness, 


NEHEMIAH.  THE  BUILDER  207 

courage,  and  good  sense,  and  went  right  on  with 
his  work. 

S44.  The  completion  of  the  walls. — Nehemiah 
pushed  the  work  so  vigorously  that  it  was  finished 
in  less  than  two  months.  If  he  had  delayed,  he 
might  easily  have  been  interfered  with.  Let  the 
students  see  the  value  of  his  resolution  and  dis- 
patch. Show  that  after  the  wall  was  built  he  took 
every  precaution  against  surprise. 

345.  The  dedication. — Make  very  plain  that 
this  straightforward,  strong  man  was  a  man  of 
prayer  who  worked  with  all  his  might  and  trusted 
in  God.  When  it  was  all  finished  he  gave  thanks 
to  God,  who  he  felt  had  helped  him. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 
Nehemiah  gave  up  ease  and  a  sure  position  for 
a  dangerous  enterprise,  because  he  believed  that 
his  people  needed  him.  Recall  that  Moses  gave  up 
his  position  in  the  Egyptian  court  in  order  to  stand 
with  his  people  who  were  slaves.  And  when 
Nehemiah  undertook  the  task  he  carried  it  through 
without  allowing  anything  to  daunt  him.  Many  a 
lesser  man  would  have  failed,  but  Nehemiah 
triumphed  over  every  opposition. 

"Written  Review 

Discuss  with  the  class  the  heroism  of   doing 

right  in  spite  of  scorn,  violence,  and  slander.    Point 

out  how  such  heroism  may  be  shown  today.     Use 

such  illustrations  as  you  can  find.    Encourage  the 


2o8  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Students  to  record  in  their  notebooks  some  instances 
that  they  may  have  seen. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Ask  if  all  are  agreed  that  it  was  patriotic  for 
Nehemiah  to  give  up  his  office  as  favorite  of  the 
king  in  order  to  go  to  Jerusalem  and  help  his 
people.  Ask  if  a  woman  had  done  the  same  thing 
whether  it  would  be  equally  patriotic.  Then  sup- 
pose she  risked  a  higher  position,  even  the  throne, 
in  order  to  be  true  to  her  people,  would  that  be 
patriotic?  And  what  if  she  risked  her  life?  The 
next  lesson  deals  with  a  patriotic  queen,  a  beauti- 
ful Jewess  who  became  a  heroine. 


XXXII.    ESTHER,  THE  PATRIOT  QUEEN 

References: 

Tristram,  pp.  79-81. 
Price,  pp.  248-61. 

Dictionary   of   the   Bible,   articles   "Esther,"   "Esther, 
Book  of,"  "Purim." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 

To  show  the  fine  heroism  of  a  woman's  brave 
deed. 

Essence  of  the  Story 

This  is  a  very  picturesque  story  of  the  time 
when  the  Jews  were  Hving  in  Persia.  The  luxu- 
rious king,  becoming  offended  with  his  queen, 
deposed  her.  Among  the  numerous  maidens  pre- 
sented to  him  for  her  successor  he  chose  the  beauti- 
ful Jewess,  Esther,  without  knowing  the  nation  to 
which  she  belonged.  Meantime  Haman,  the  king's 
favorite  minister  of  state,  had  taken  great  offense 
at  the  conduct  of  Mordecai,  Esther's  cousin,  and 
for  revenge  obtained  the  king's  permission  that  all 
the  Jews  should  be  slaughtered.  With  great 
courage,  at  the  risk  of  her  life,  Esther  interposed 
and  pleaded  with  the  king,  with  the  result  that 
Haman  was  hanged  and  the  Jews  were  saved.  Un- 
happily the  story  is  marred  by  the  terrible  revenge 
which  the  Jews  took  upon  their  enemies. 
2og 


2IO  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

EXPLANATORY  NOTE 

Note  GG.  The  feast  of  Purim. — Among  many  other 
religious  festivals  the  Jews  have  one  national  holiday  in 
the  springtime  which  is  different  from  all  others.  It 
has  not  very  much  religious  character.  Like  our  Fourth 
of  July,  it  is  a  time  of  great  noise  and  patriotic  celebra- 
tion. Like  our  Thanksgiving,  it  is  a  time  of  feasting. 
Like  our  Christmas,  it  is  a  time  for  the  exchange  of 
gifts.  It  is  very  difficult  to  tell  how  the  feast  really 
arose.  The  story  of  Esther  was  written  to  give  an  expla- 
nation of  the  feast.  It  is  supposed  to  be  a  commemora- 
tion of  the  great  deliverance  wrought  by  the  patriotic 
queen.  Through  all  their  persecutions  the  Jews  kept  up 
the  feast  with  great  rejoicing  and  great  cursing  of 
Haman.    It  is  still  a  time  of  high  merriment  among  them. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

It  has  already  been  suggested  that  sometimes 
variety  may  be  given  by  telHng  the  story  to  the 
class  in  an  effective  way,  asking  the  students  to 
interrupt  if  any  important  matter  is  omitted,  or  if 
they  wish  to  ask  a  question  at  any  point.  This 
story  lends  itself  beautifully  to  such  a  picturesque 
narration.  As  given  in  the  student's  book  it  is  some- 
what abbreviated.  If  the  teacher  desires,  the  story 
may  be  told  in  full  from  the  Bible.  Of  course,  in 
any  case,  the  teacher  should  be  able  to  tell  it  with- 
out using  a  book.  A  few  brief  notes  may  be  used 
if  necessary.  If  the  seven  points  are  kept  in  mind, 
and  the  narration  practiced  beforehand,  there  will 
be  no  difficulty  in  doing  it  well. 


ESTHER,  THE  PATRIOT  QUEEN  211 

Introduction. — Begin  with  an  explanation  that 
the  story  is  about  the  great  kingdom  of  Persia, 
where,  as  we  saw  in  the  last  lesson,  a  large  number 
of  Jews  were  living.  They  were  not  always  well 
treated  by  their  neighbors.  In  this  story  we  shall 
see  how  they  came  into  terrible  danger. 

§  PS  A.  Queen  Vashti  deposed. — Describe  the 
luxurious  feast  of  the  king.  The  students  are  ac- 
quainted with  the  Arabian  Nights,  and  will  see  that 
this  has  something  of  the  same  oriental  splendor. 
Show  that  the  king  and  his  nobles  must  have  been 
very  drunk  when  the  queen  was  ordered  to  come 
in.  Of  course  she  refused.  Then  follows  a  very 
interesting  discussion  of  what  was  to  be  done  with 
her,  and  a  great  determination  of  the  husbands  to 
rule  in  their  own  houses.  There  is  not  wanting  a 
touch  of  humor  here. 

§pj5.  The  selection  of  Esther. — The  exact 
nature  of  this  selection  need  not  be  explained. 
Let  it  be  sufficient  that  the  maidens  were  brought 
to  the  capital  for  the  king  to  choose  from  them  his 
queen.  Mordecai,  who  had  adopted  his  beautiful 
cousin,  thought  it  a  good  opportunity  to  recom- 
mend her  for  this  strange  contest.  Let  the  dramatic 
possibilities  of  the  story  be  made  evident  as  the 
Jewess  without  revealing  her  nationality  is  exalted 
to  the  dignity  of  queen. 

%P4A.  The  enmity  of  Haman. — The  striking 
facts  that  should  be  made  clear  are  the  very  slight 
character  of  the  offense,  and  the  hideous  plan  of 
revenge.    The  lazy  oriental  monarch  would  do  any- 


212  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

thing  for  a  favorite  without  consideration.  Haman, 
therefore,  had  no  trouble  in  obtaining  the  king's 
consent  to  the  murderous  decree.  It  was  not  the 
last  time  in  history  that  the  unhappy  Jews  were 
sentenced  to  massacre. 

§  P4B.  Mordecai's  appeal  to  Esther. — The 
bitter  cry  of  Mordecai  has  been  echoed  down  the 
centuries,  as  every  great  empire  has  persecuted  the 
Jew.  This  may  be  a  good  opportunity  to  help  the 
students  to  appreciate  the  tragedy  of  Jewish  his- 
tory. It  ought  to  help  also  to  a  decision  on  their 
part  that  they  would  conquer  their  prejudices 
against  these  people.  Let  the  striking  character  of 
the  universal  grief  of  those  Jews  in  Persia  be  made 
clear.  Bring  out  all  the  points  of  the  story :  Mor- 
decai's conduct,  the  gradual  revelation  of  the  facts 
to  Esther,  Mordecai's  demand  upon  her,  her  expla- 
nation of  the  impossibility  of  appealing  to  the  king, 
Mordecai's  stern  call  to  heroism,  her  noble  response. 

§  pjA.  The  dangerous  interview. — Here  is  an 
opportunity  for  startling  contrasts.  Bring  out  with 
good  description  Esther's  timidity,  the  king's  favor, 
the  acceptance  of  the  invitation,  Haman's  delight, 
the  lovely  queen's  appeal,  the  king's  anger,  Haman's 
terror,  and  the  tragic  end. 

§  Q^B.  The  deliverance  of  the  Jews. — The 
story  reads  quite  like  those  oriental  tales  which  the 
boys  and  girls  love.  In  a  moment  Mordecai  is  ad- 
vanced to  the  high  position  that  had  been  held  by 
his  enemy.  Then  the  king  is  just  as  willing  to  do 
what  Mordecai  wished  as  he  was  formerly  willing 


ESTHER.  THE  PATRIOT  QUEEN  213 

to  oblige  Haman.     So  everything  is  arranged  for 
the  safety  of  the  Jews. 

§  pjC.  The  feast  of  the  deliverance. — Do  not 
fail  to  point  out  the  feeling  of  revenge  that  is  in 
the  story.  Let  the  students  understand  that  such 
stories  are  not  in  the  Bible  as  examples,  but  as 
facts.  Jesus  had  often  seen  the  customs  of  the 
feast  of  Purim  and  heard  the  cursing  of  Haman, 
but  he  had  a  different  spirit.  Let  the  students  read 
Matt.  5 :43-45.  The  revenge  was  a  part  of  the 
savage  spirit  of  the  old  days,  which  we  shall  gladly 
forget.  We  shall  remember  the  beautiful  bravery 
of  Esther,  which  is  an  inspiration  forever. 

Written  Review 

Help  the  students  to  see  that  Mordecai  was 
right  when  he  told  Esther  that  her  queenly  dignity 
carried  with  it  an  obligation,  and  to  see  also  that 
every  advantage  that  we  have  carries  with  it  obli- 
gation. Encourage  them  to  make  their  banners 
artistically. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

If  the  Jews  were  in  trouble  in  Esther's  day 
under  the  Persians,  what  shall  we  think  of  their 
condition  later  under  the  Greeks  when  a  powerful 
king  decided  to  annihilate  the  whole  nation?  It 
was  not  a  lazy  permission  given  by  a  monarch  to 
his  favorite,  but  it  was  the  desperate  decision  of 
the  king  himself  to  make  the  whole  people  give  up 
their  religion,  or  else  to  destroy  them  utterly.     In 


214  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

such  a  moment  of  despair,  would  it  be  likely  that 
some  patriot  would  draw  his  sword  and  strike  a 
blow  for  liberty?  Would  there  be  some  man  with 
noble  faith  in  God  who  would  dare  rise  against 
the  tyrant?  Such  a  wonderful  story  is  the  one  we 
have  for  our  next  lesson. 


XXXIII.    JUDAS,  THE  HAMMERER 

References: 

Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  articles  "Maccabees"  (§§  i,  2), 
"Antiochus"  (§4),  "Apocrypha." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  how  a  brave  old  man  and  his  gallant 
sons  saved  a  nation  from  despair. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
We  return  to  consider  the  Jews  in  their  native 
land.  Many  of  them  came  back  from  Persia  after 
the  time  of  Nehemiah,  and  they  had  a  period  of  some 
prosperity.  As  the  political  changes  in  the  eastern 
world  took  place,  the  Jews  passed  from  one  master 
to  another.  They  never  regained  their  independ- 
ence during  all  those  years.  Sometimes  they  were 
treated  with  some  justice,  sometimes  very  harshly. 
At  last  the  extreme  of  tyranny  came  under  Anti- 
ochus. He  seems  to  have  been  half  mad.  He 
determined  that  his  Jewish  subjects  should  wor- 
ship the  Roman  gods,  for  he  was  a  great  admirer 
of  Rome.  The  Jews  were  passionately  devoted  to 
their  religion.  They  could  not  give  up  their  holy 
books,  those  Old  Testament  scriptures  which  we 
have  today.  They  could  not  endure  to  have  images 
of  the  Roman  gods  in  their  temple.  The  king 
ordered  a  wholesale  slaughter  of  those  who  refused 
to  do  his  bidding.  The  people  fled  to  the  hiUs. 
21S 


2l6  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Many  of  them  of  course  submitted.  But  an  old 
priest  with  his  five  noble  sons  determined  never  to 
give  up  their  faith.  Resistance  seemed  useless  and 
they  did  not  plan  to  attempt  it,  but  the  last  provo- 
cation came  with  the  visit  of  the  king's  officers  to 
their  town.  The  old  man  struck  a  blow  for  liberty. 
He  called  the  people  to  arms.  For  a  short  time 
there  was  a  great  struggle.  It  was  too  much  for 
the  old  man  and  he  died.  But  his  son  Judas,  one 
of  the  noblest  men  in  all  of  the  Hebrew  history, 
carried  on  the  conflict,  organized  an  army,  defeated 
the  enemy,  regained  and  purified  the  temple,  and 
actually  brought  independence  to  his  people. 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES 

Note  HH.  The  Apocrypha. — When  the  Jews  gathered 
their  sacred  books  into  one  Bible,  they  decided  that  cer- 
tain books  should  not  be  included.  For  one  reason,  these 
books  were  written  in  Greek  instead  of  the  sacred  Hebrew 
tongue.  They  were  gathered  into  another  collection  called 
the  Apocrypha.  In  old  editions  of  the  Bible  this  will  bt 
found  printed  between  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  A 
good  edition  of  the  Apocrypha  in  the  revised  version 
may  be  purchased  very  cheap.  Every  Bible  student  should 
have  one.  Some  of  the  books  are  very  noble  literature. 
This  is  especiall}'  true  of  I  Maccabees,  from  which  our 
lesson  is  taken. 

Note  II.  Antiochus,  king  of  Syria. — Every  student 
of  ancient  history  knows  how  Alexander  the  Great  con- 
quered the  Persians.  All  the  lands  which  were  under  the 
Persian  authority  became  part  of  Alexander's  empire. 
Among  these,  of  course,  was  Judea.  After  Alexander's 
death   his   empire  was   divided.     In   the  east,  two  great 


JUDAS,  THE  HAMMERER  217 

Greek  monarchies  arose,  Eg>'pt  and  Syria.  It  was  a 
question  to  which  of  these  the  Jews  should  belong.  First 
they  were  taken  by  Egypt,  but  later  the  king  of  Syria 
conquered  the  Egyptians  and  captured  Palestine.  At  the 
time  of  our  story  Antiochus  IV  was  on  the  throne  of 
Syria.  He  had  spent  many  years  in  Rome  and  was  a 
great  admirer  of  the  western  republic.  He  tried  to 
bring  all  his  people  under  the  control  of  the  Roman 
ideas.  It  was  this  policy  that  brought  about  the  tragedy 
for  the  Jews. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

25y.  Ask  the  students  what  they  think  of  a 
bully.  Ask  them  if  anyone  remembers  how  the 
bully  was  treated  in  Tom  Brown  at  Rugby.  Draw 
out  from  them  that  everybody  hates  a  bully  and 
delights  in  his  defeat.  Ask  if  a  king  could  be  a 
bully.  Let  the  story  of  Philip  II  be  told.  He  tried 
to  bully  England  as  well  as  Holland  and  sent  his 
Invincible  Armada  against  the  little  navy  of  Eng- 
land, but  the  great  ships  were  smashed  in  the 
English  Channel.  We  always  delight  to  know  how 
the  little  fellow  defeated  the  bully.  We  find  a 
case  in  this  story. 

55^.  Judas,  the  Hammerer. — Judas  was  a  very 
common  name  among  the  Jews.  This  man's  sur- 
name was  given  him  because  he  was  such  a  tre- 
mendous fighter.  Tell  the  students  that  we  are 
going  to  study  the  story  of  one  of  the  most  valiant 
soldiers  in  the  world's  history. 

S^g.  Antiochus,    the    tyrant. — Explain    briefly 


2i8  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

how  he  came  to  have  rule  over  the  Jews,  and  the 
nature  of  his  tyranny.  The  students  will  under- 
stand the  Jewish  horror  of  swine's  flesh,  and  will 
thus  be  able  to  understand  the  shameful  dishonor 
that  was  put  upon  their  temple. 

jdo.  The  old  priest. — Let  the  students  find  on 
the  map  the  village  of  Modin,  a  few  miles  north- 
west of  Jerusalem.  Be  sure  that  they  appreciate 
the  sadness  and  hopelessness  of  the  old  priest. 
Bring  out  the  dramatic  character  of  the  events  that 
follow.  We  are  reminded  of  the  stirring  words  in 
Macaulay's  "Lays  of  Ancient  Rome": 

When  our  latest  hope  is  fled 

Ye  taste  of  our  despair. 

And  learn  too  late  in  some  wild  hour 

How  much  the  wretched  dare. 

^6t.  The  contest  in  the  hills. — Recall  how 
David  was  able  with  his  little  band  to  maintain 
himself  in  the  caves  of  the  Judean  hills  against 
the  army  of  Saul.  It  was  very  difficult  to  dislodge 
a  body  of  active  men  who  took  refuge  in  those 
fastnesses.  Let  the  students  especially  note  the 
old  man's  provision  for  the  conduct  of  the  cam- 
paign. 

^62.  The  first  victory  of  Judas. — The  interest 
of  the  students  will  be  kindled  in  the  gathering  of 
the  little  army.  Let  them  see  how  unequal  was  the 
contest,  but  the  splendid  courage  of  Judas  and  the 
fierceness  of  his  attack  brought  him  victory. 

j(5j.  Continued    victories. — Ask    the    students 


JUDAS,  THE  HAMMERER  219 

what  they  suppose  the  proud  king  thought  when  he 
found  that  his  army  had  been  defeated  by  a  band 
of  Jews  headed  by  a  priest.  Let  them  see  that  the 
Syrians  made  the  greatest  efforts  to  overwhelm 
Judas.  Of  course  as  Judas  succeeded  more  and 
more,  the  Jews,  who  had  been  afraid  to  join  him  at 
first,  flocked  to  his  army.  People  are  always  ready 
to  join  a  successful  enterprise. 

264.  The  temple  cleansed. — Bring  out  the  feel- 
ings of  sorrow  at  the  shameful  condition  of  the 
temple  and  the  earnest  work  that  followed. 

^6$.  The  rejoicing  of  the  worshipers. — The 
contrast  of  feeling  here  is  to  be  made  clear — the 
sorrow  and  shame  turned  to  joy  and  thanksgiving. 
Be  sure  that  the  students  appreciate  the  dramatic 
change. 

^66.  The  greatness  of  Judas. — We  have  had 
only  a  little  glimpse  into  the  life  of  this  brave  man. 
If  we  had  a  full  story  it  would  do  him  only  more 
honor. 

Summary 
Patriotism  always  kindles  our  enthusiasm. 
Boys  and  girls  will  easily  realize  the  heroism  of 
men  who  were  fighting  for  God  and  home  and 
native  land.  From  their  knowledge  of  history  let 
them  tell  of  other  patirots  who  saved  their  country. 
We  may  go  farther  and  realize  the  heroism  of  any 
man  taking  the  lead  in  a  difficult  enterprise.  It  is 
easy  to  follow  when  the  days  of  success  come,  but 
the  hero  is  the  man  who  stands  for  the  right  when 
there  are  few  to  stand  with  him.     There  may  be 


220  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

local  enterprises  of  righteousness  and  reform 
which  will  afford  instances  of  just  such  heroism. 
There  may  even  be  examples  in  the  school  life  of 
boys  and  girls  who  were  willing  to  do  right  when 
it  was  unpopular. 

Written  Review 

If  the  dramatic  scene  at  Modin  has  been  well 
pictured  the  students  will  be  able  to  do  the  bit  of 
reproduction  for  their  notebooks.  Have  this  in 
mind  when  §  96B  is  being  discussed.  Ask  the 
students  then  how  a  boy  or  girl  would  have  felt 
who  saw  the  occurrence. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

The  stories  of  the  heroes  help  us  to  be  heroic. 
We  should  like  to  know  what  stories  were  read  by 
those  heroes  themselves.  We  could  then  see  what 
helped  them  to  be  heroes.  It  happens  that  we  know 
just  the  stories  that  Judas  and  his  companions  were 
reading  at  the  time  they  made  their  gallant  patriotic 
defense.  Our  next  lesson  contains  the  stories  that 
encouraged  these  gallant  men. 


XXXIV.    DANIEL  AND  HIS  FRIENDS 

References: 

Tristram,  pp.  79-81. 

Dictionary   of   the   Bible,   articles   "Daniel,"   "Daniel, 
Book  of/'  "Nebuchadnezzar." 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  show  that  the  heroes  have  felt  that  it  was 
better  to  die  than  to  be  false  to  one's  conscience. 

Essence  of  the  Story 
These  heroic  stories  were  written  to  strengthen 
the  hearts  of  the  people  in  the  time  of  their  ter- 
rible persecution.  The  scene  of  the  stories  is  in 
Babylon  over  400  years  before  the  time  of  Anti- 
ochus.  Although  the  stories  were  written  in  the 
time  of  Judas  Maccabeeus,  they  go  back  to  the 
first  captivity  of  the  Jews  under  the  great  king 
Nebuchadnezzar.  Among  the  captives  were  four 
noble  youths  who  were  trained  for  the  king's 
service.  They  determined  to  keep  free  from  the 
idolatry  of  Babylon.  To  do  that  they  were  obliged 
to  refuse  the  costly  articles  of  food  that  were  sup- 
plied to  the  king's  table,  for  these  were  all  conse- 
crated to  idols.  Their  abstinence  was  highly  suc- 
cessful, A  more  serious  test  came  to  three  of 
them  later  when  the  king  endeavored  to  secure  uni- 
versal homage  to  his  golden  image.  The  Jewish 
young  men  were  loyal  to  their  faith  at  the  risk  of 


222  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

their  lives.  A  like  test  came  to  Daniel  in  his  later 
years.  These  men  conformed  in  every  reasonable 
respect  to  the  conditions  of  the  land  where  they 
lived.  They  were  not  obstinately  peculiar,  but 
when  it  came  to  a  question  of  conscience  they 
would  not  yield  an  inch. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
These  stories  are  quite  long  but  are  very  easily 
read  and  are  of  great  interest.  Most  of  them  are 
familiar  to  the  students.  The  time  of  the  class 
should  not  be  taken  in  detailed  narration.  The 
students  should  tell  the  stories  in  their  great  out- 
lines. 

THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 

j(5/.  A  number  of  boys  were  talking  about 
jumping  over  a  wide,  deep  ditch.  While  they  hesi- 
tated one  undertook  to  make  the  jump.  After  he 
had  done  it  several  others  followed.  Ask  the  stu- 
dents why  it  was  easier  for  the  others  to  follow. 
Ask  them  if  it  is  easier  to  do  right  when  some 
strong  person  leads.  Show  them  that  these  stories 
of  the  heroes  were  told  in  order  to  encourage  others 
to  follow.  Judas  and  his  friends  could  refuse  to 
obey  Antiochus  when  they  realized  that  Daniel  and 
his  friends  had  refused  to  obey  Nebuchadnezzar. 

368.  The  question  of  conscience. — Be  sure  that 
the  students  understand  that  it  was  the  idolatrous 
character  of  the  food  which  raised  the  question  of 
conscience.  That  might  not  be  a  question  for  us, 
but  at  that  time  it  was  very  important.     If  they 


DANIEL  AND  HIS  FRIENDS  223 

had  eaten  the  food  it  would  have  encouraged  others 
to  be  careless  about  the  Jewish  principles. 

jdp.  The  golden  image. — Be  sure  that  the  stu- 
dents see  the  moral  test  involved  in  the  king's 
demand. 

570.  The  heroic  refusal. — After  the  story  is 
very  briefly  dealt  with,  let  these  important  points 
be  noted:  (i)  that  these  loyal  Jews  could  not 
deny  their  God;  (2)  that  it  was  not  obstinacy  but 
devotion;  (3)  that  they  had  faith  that  God  would 
take  care  of  them,  come  what  might;  (4)  that 
their  faith  convinced  them  that  even  if  they  had 
to  die,  it  was  better  than  to  be  untrue. 

57/,  The  great  deliverance. — Bring  out  the 
dramatic  change.  By  questions  be  sure  that  the 
students  feel  the  impression  that  these  stories 
would  make  upon  Judas  and  his  companions. 

J7^.  Daniel's  enemies. — Show  that  goodness 
does  not  save  us  from  envy.  Daniel's  difficulty 
arose  from  his  faithfulness. 

575.  Daniel's  danger. — ^The  students  should 
pass  a  judgment  on  Daniel's  courageous  continu- 
ance of  his  custom.  Show  again  the  difference 
between  obstinacy  and  loyalty.  The  students  will 
be  able  to  think  of  other  instances  besides  those 
mentioned  in  their  book.  Always  encourage  them 
in  recalling  such  examples. 

57^.  Daniel's  deliverance. — This,  of  course,  is 
told  to  show  how  loyalty  prospered.  The  king 
was  far  more  nervous  than  Daniel.     It  was  a  bit 


224  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

of  the  old-time  savagery  that  the  families  of  his 
enemies  were  destroyed  with  them. 

j/5.  The  inUuence  of  courage. — The  class 
should  realize  that  when  a  man  stands  for  his  con- 
science he  exerts  a  good  influence  far  beyond  any- 
thing he  himself  expects. 

Summary 

In  our  last  lesson  we  found  that  it  was  hard 
to  undertake  a  noble  work  when  others  were 
afraid.  Here  we  see  that  it  is  hard  to  refuse  to 
do  wrong  when  everybody  else  is  doing  it.  The 
heroes  are  the  men  who  dare  to  refuse  the  wrong, 
and  who  dare  to  take  the  lead  in  the  right.  This 
is  a  good  principle  to  bring  into  the  common  life 
of  the  boys  and  girls.  Get  them  to  talk  on  the 
subject. 

Written  Review 

Preparation  for  this  may  be  made  in  the  dis- 
cussion just  indicated.  Urge  each  student  to  write 
about  some  effect  of  courage  that  he  has  himself 
known. 

Preparation  for  the  Next  Lesson 

Explain  that  we  must  turn  back  and  be  sure 
that  we  have  added  these  seven  heroic  names  to 
our  list  of  friends.  We  want  to  know  the  young 
king  who  desired  to  govern  well ;  the  prophet  who 
stood  for  loyalty  to  God  and  justice  to  man;  the 
other  prophet  who  went  about  doing  good;  the 
governor  who  wished  to  lead  in  a  good  work;  the 


DANIEL  AND  HIS  FRIENDS  225 

woman  who  risked  herself  to  save  her  people;  the 
general  who  fought  to  deliver  his  nation;  and  the 
man  who  was  ready  to  die  for  his  principles.  Show 
the  students  that  they  will  find  in  chap,  xxxv  brief 
suggestions  of  the  way  to  recall  these  stories.  Tell 
them  that  the  next  lesson  will  be  based  upon  their 
study  of  these  paragraphs. 


REVIEW 

XXXV.    Seven  Heroic  Names 


XXXV.    REVIEW:     SEVEN  HEROIC 

NAMES 

Aim  of  the  Lesson 
To  see  the  great  but  simple  principles  of  life 
which  made  these  seven  names  heroic. 

Suggestions  for  Teaching 
This  course  of  study  has  not  been  very  much 
concerned  with  history.  That  belongs  later  in  the 
student's  development.  It  is  the  heroic  aspects  of 
life  which  have  been  kept  prominent.  Let  this 
review,  therefore,  be  concerned  with  the  human 
significance  of  the  stories  rather  than  with  the 
details  of  fact.  A  very  brief  treatment  of  each 
story  that  is  employed  will  be  necessary  in  order 
to  give  time  for  the  summary. 

THE    POINT   OF    CONTACT 

This  may  be  found  in  the  last  words  of  the 
student's  book.  Ask  them  if  everyone  has  to  be  a 
hero  in  the  same  way.  Ask  if  anyone  is  so  placed 
that  he  cannot  have  some  kind  of  heroism.  Excite 
interest  in  the  review  by  suggesting  that  the  class 
is  to  see  the  different  ways  in  which  heroism  was 
exhibited  by  these  noble  seven. 

Noble  ambition. — Ask  the  class  how  a  man  who 
holds  high  office  in  the  government  can  be  a  hero. 
Let  them  recall  that  Solomon  wanted  to  govern 
his  people  well.  We  need  heroes  today  as  judges 
and  governors  and  legislators.  Everyone  who  has 
229 


23©  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

a  noble  ambition  to  be  able  to  do  his  duty  well  is 
heroic. 

Decision. — Ask  the  class  on  which  side  of  the 
fence  a  hero  stands.  Ask  if  he  is  ever  found  on 
the  fence.  The  story  of  Elijah  shows  the  greatness 
of  choosing  the  right  and  standing  for  it.  Recall 
Elijah's  challenge:  "How  long  halt  ye  between 
two  opinions?" 

Justice. — A  hero  loves  fair  play.  Ask  the  stu- 
dents about  the  "square  deal."  Show  them  that 
injustice  is  one  of  the  worst  evils  of  life.  We 
must  clear  our  schools,  our  clubs,  our  commerce, 
our  politics,  of  injustice.  We  need  heroes  for  the 
task.  Let  them  tell  the  story  of  Elijah's  condem- 
nation of  Ahab's  wrong  against  Naboth. 

Kindliness. — We  must  give  people  fair  play  and 
we  must  give  them  more  too.  They  need  help. 
Find  out  if  the  class  knows  anything  about  Dr. 
Grenfell.  He  is  a  hero  because  he  is  helping 
people.  Let  the  students  tell  a  few  facts  about 
Elisha's  helpfulness.  Let  them  see  how  grand  it 
is  to  be  a  blessing. 

Inspiration. — The  best  way  to  help  people  is  to 
help  them  to  help  themselves.  The  fellow  who 
says,  "Let  us  try,"  and  gets  everybody  else  to  try 
does  a  great  deal  of  good  in  the  world.  Explain 
that  when  one  man  stirs  up  others  to  work  we 
call  it  "inspiring"  them.  With  a  few  questions 
draw  out  Nehemiah's  fine  ability  to  give  inspira- 
tion to  the  Jews,  and  thus  help  them  to  build  their 
city. 


SEVEN  HEROIC  NAMES  231 

Unselfishness. — Sometimes  one  has  to  help 
people  by  sacrificing  himself.  We  have  been  able 
to  stamp  out  yellow  fever  because  a  noble  doctor 
gave  his  life  to  the  experiment.  He  might  have 
said  that  it  was  none  of  his  business.  He  could 
have  earned  a  good  living  and  have  kept  out  of 
danger.  The  heroes  and  heroines  are  those  who 
do  not  ask,  "Where  do  I  come  in?"  but  who  ask, 
"What  can  I  do?"  The  story  of  the  beautiful 
queen  who  risked  her  life  for  her  people  shows 
this  fine  quality  of  unselfishness. 

Destruction. — Sometimes  we  have  to  fight  for 
a  good  cause.  The  power  to  destroy  is  one  of  the 
heroic  qualities,  though  it  is  a  very  dangerous  one. 
It  has  caused  a  great  deal  of  evil  in  the  world, 
but  some  great  liberties  would  never  have  been 
won  except  by  fighting.  We  had  the  story  of  a 
man  who  could  hammer  his  opponents  to  pieces. 
He  was  a  true  hero  because  he  only  hammered 
the  tyrants.  Let  the  students  give  in  a  few  words 
the  career  of  Judas. 

Loyalty. — Sometimes  you  cannot  fight  be- 
cause you  stand  alone.  It  is  of  no  use  for  one 
man  to  take  arms  against  a  nation.  He  must 
either  submit  or  perish.  Cowards  submit  and 
heroes  are  ready  to  die  for  the  right.  This  is 
loyalty,  one  of  the  noblest  of  all  of  the  hero  vir- 
tues. Often  the  very  boldness  of  the  brave  man  is 
his  safety.    Recall  the  story  of  Daniel. 


232  HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 

Stimmary 
The  great  qualities  of  life  are  so  simple  that 
most  of  them  belong  to  boyhood  and  girlhood  as 
well  as  to  maturity.  Young  people  may  have  noble 
ambitions  to  play  their  part  well,  stand  squarely  for 
what  they  believe,  set  themselves  against  all  un- 
fairness, seek  opportunities  of  helpfulness,  inspire 
others  to  do  their  best,  take  risks  to  help  others, 
oppose  vigorously  wrong-doing,  stand  loyal  to  their 
principles.  These  old  heroes  that  we  have  been 
studying  with  their  big-heartedness  and  faith  ought 
to  help  us  to  see  how  worthy  are  those  fine  manly 
and  womanly  qualities. 

Conclusion 

Remind  the  students  that  Jesus  grew  up  at 
Nazareth,  and  when  he  was  their  age  he  read  these 
same  stories  that  we  have  been  reading  through 
this  year.  He  saw  those  fine  qualities  of  the  great 
men  of  his  race.  The  noble  tales  helped  him  to 
come  to  his  own  heroic  life.  He  had  the  fine  vir- 
tues of  these  seven.  He  had  ambition  to  do  his 
duty,  for  he  said  his  "meat  was  to  do  the  will  of 
him  that  sent  him."  He  was  firm  in  his  decision  to 
be  on  the  right  side,  for  he  said,  "Thou  shalt  wor- 
ship the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou 
serve."  He  stood  for  the  justice  of  the  Golden 
Rule.  He  was  so  constantly  helpful  that  Peter 
said  of  him,  "He  went  about  doing  good."  He 
encouraged  everyone  to  do  his  best,  so  that  even 
sinners  whom  everybody  had  given  up  began  to  be 


SEVEN  HEROIC  NAMES  233 

righteous.  His  unselfishness  led  him  to  give  his 
life  for  his  people.  He  too  had  something  of  the 
spirit  of  the  Hammerer.  He  never  drew  the 
sword,  but  he  declared  for  the  destruction  of  wick- 
edness, tyranny,  and  hypocrisy.  And  he  was  loyal 
to  his  principles,  "obedient  unto  death,  even  the 
death  of  the  cross." 

If  these  stories  inspired  Jesus  may  they  help 
us  to  follow  Jesus,  and  may  the  students  grow  in 
these  noble  virtues  "unto  a  full-grown  man,  unto 
the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of 
Christ" 


PRONUNCIATION  OF  PROPER  NAMES 


PRONUNCIATION  OF  PROPER  NAMES 


Vowel  values:  a,  bat;  a,  bale;  S,  father;  e,  bed;  e,  seen;  i,  bid; 
1,  fight;  o,  rock;  5,  bone;  u,  bush;  u=oo  in  boot;  yu=u  in  cube. 


Aaron,  a'run 
Abana,  ab'a-na 
Abednego,  a-bed'ne-go 
Abiathar,  a-bfa-thar 
Abiezer,  a-bi-e'zer 
Abiezrite,  a-bi-ez'rit 
Abigail,  abl-gal 
Abinadab,  a-bin'a-dab 
Abishai,  ab'i-shi 
Abner,  ab'ner 
Achish,  a'kish 
Adullani,  a-dul'am 
Ahab,  a'hab 

Ahasuerus,  a-haz"yu-e'rus 
Ahimelech,  a-him'e-lek 
Ahithophel,  a-hith'o-fel 
Ai,  a'i 

Aijalon,  aj'a-lon 
Amalekites,  am'a-Iek-Its 
Ammon,  am'on 
Ammonites,  am'on-its 
Aner,  a'ner 
Antiochus,  an-tfo-kus 
Aphek,  a'fek 
Arab,  ar'ab 

Artaxerxes,  ar"tax-erk'sez 
Asaph,  a'saf 


Ashdodites,  ash'dod-Its 
Asher,  ash'er 
Ashkelon,  ash'kel-on 
Azariah,  az"a-rl'a 

Baal,  ba'al 
Baalim,  ba'al-im 
Babylon,  bab'i-lun 
Babylonia,  bab"i-l6'ni-a 
Beersheba,  be"er'she-ba 
Belteshazzar,  bel"te-shaz'ar 
Bethaven,  beth-a'ven 
Bethel,  beth'el 
Bethlehem,  bethle-hem 
Bethlehemite,  bethle-hem-it 
Bethuel,  beth-u'el 
Boaz,  bo'az 

Canaan,  ka'nan 
Carchemish,  karTce-mish 
Chaldees,  kal-des' 
Cherith,  ker'ith 
Cherithites,  ker'ith-its 
Chilion,  kil'i-on 
Cushite,  kush'it 

Dagon,  da'gon 
Damascus,  da-mas'cus 


237 


238 


HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 


Daniel,  dan'yel 
Delilah,  de-li'la 
Dothan,  do'than 

Elah,  e'la 
Eleazor,  e"le-a'zar 
Eli,  e'li 
Eliab,  e-li'ab 
Elijah,  e-lfja 
Elim,  elim 
Elimelech,  e-lim'e-lek 
Elisha,  e-lfsha 
Elkanah,  el-ka'na 
Elul,  e'lul 
Ephraim,  e'fra-im 
Esdraelon,  es"dra-e'lon 
Eshcol,  esh'kol 
Esther,  es'ter 
Etam,  e'tam 
Ethbaal,  eth-ba'al 
Euphrates,  yu-fra'tez 
Ezel,  e'zel 

Gehazi,  ge-ha'zi 
Gershom,  ger'shom 
Geshem,  gesb'em 
Gibeah,  gib'e-^ 
Gibeon,  gib'e-on 
Gideon,  gid'e-on 
Gilboa,  gil-bo'a 
Gilead,  gil'e-ad 
Gilonite,  gi'lo-nit 
Gittite,  git'it 
Goliath,  go-lfath 
Gomorrah,  go-mor'rd 


Hanani,  han-a'nl 
Hananiah,  han-an-fa 
Haran,  har'an 
Hazael,  ha'za-el 
Hebron,  he'brun 
Hittite,  hit'lt 
Hobah,  hoTaa 
Hophni,  hof'nl 
Horeb,  ho'reb 
Hushai,  hush'i 

Isaac,  i'zac 

Ish-bosheth,  ish-bo'sheth 
Ishmaelites,  ish'ma-el-its 
Issachar,  iz'a-kar 
Ittai,  it'tl 

Jabbok,  jab'ok 
Jabesh-Gilead, 

jaTDCsh-gil'e-ad 
Jebusites,  jeb'yu-zits 
Jehu,  je'hyu 
Jericho,  jer'i-ko 
Jethro,  jeth'ro 
Jezebel,  jez'e-bel 
Jezreel,  jez're-el 
Jezreelite,  jez're-el-It 
Joash,  j5'ash 
Joppa,  jop'pa 
Joshua,  josh'u-a 

Kadesh-Barnea, 

ka'desh-bar'ne-a 
Keilah,  kl'la 
Kidron,  ke'-dron 
Kishon,  kl'sbon 


PRONUNCIATION  OF  PROPER  NAMES     239 


Laban,  laTDan 
Leah,  le'a 
Lebanon,  leb'a-non 
Lehi,  le'hi 
Levi,  le'vi 

Leviticus,  lev-it'i-cus 
Lysias,  lis'i-as 

Maccabaeus,  mac-ca-be'us 
Mahlon,  ma'lon 
Malchi-shua,  mal"ki-shu'a 
Mamre,  mam're 
Manasseh,  ma-nas  e 
Manoah,  ma-no'a 
Maon,  ma'on 
Ma  rah,  m^'ra 
Mattathias,  mat-ta-thfas 
Melchizedek,   mel-kiz'e-dek 
Memucan,  me-mu'kan 
Meshach,  me'shak 
Mesopotamia, 

mes-o-po-ta'-mi-a 
Michal,  mfkal 
Mich-mash,  mic'mash 
Midian,  mid'i-an 
Midianites,  mid'-i-an-Its 
Migron,  mig'ron 
Milcah,  mil'ka 
Miriam,  mir'i-am 
Mishael,  mish'a-el 
Moab,  mo'ab 
Modin,  mo'din 
Mordecai,  mor'de-ki 
Moreh,  mo're 
Moriah,  mo-rfa 


Naaman,  na'a-man 
Nabal,  nalDal 
Naboth,  na'both 
Nahash,  na'hash 
Nahor,  na'hor 
Naioth,  nfyoth 
Naomi,  na-o'mi 
Naphtali,  naf'ta-ll 
Nazirite,  naz'i-rit 
Nebo,  ne'bo 
Nebuchadnezzar, 

neb"yu-kad-nez'ar 
Nehemiah,  ne"he-mi'a 
Nison,  ne'son 

Obadiah,  oTaa-dl'a 
Obed,  olaed 
Omri,  om'ri 
Orpah,  or'pS. 

Pelithites,  pel'e-thits 
Peniel,  pe-ne'el 
Pharpar,  far'par 
Pharaoh,  fa'ro 
Philistia,  fi-lis'ti-a 
Philistine,  fi-lis'tin 
Phinehas,  fin'e-as 
Pisgah,  piz'gS. 
Pithom,  pl'thom 
Potiphar,  pot'i-far 
Poti-phera,  pot-i-fe'ra 

Raamses,  ra-am'sez 
Rabbah,  rab'a 
Rachel,  ra'chel 


240 


HEROES  OF  ISRAEL 


Ramah,  Ra'ma. 
Ramses,  ram'sez 
Rephaim,  ref'a-im 
Ruth,  ruth 

Samson,  sam'sun 
Samuel,  sam'yu-el 
Sanballat,  san-bal'at 
Semitic,  se-mit'ik 
Seir,  se'ir 
Seroi  ,  se'ron 
Shadrach,  sha'drak 
Shammah,  sham'mS. 
Shaphat,  sha'fat 
Sheba,  she'ba 
Shechem,  she'kem 
Shiloh,  shflo 
Sidonians,  sl-do'ni-anz 
Sinai,  si'ni 


Socoh,  so'co 
Sodom,  sod'om 

Terah,  tc'ra 
Tigris,  tfgris 
Timnah,  tim'ni 
Tishbite,  tishTjit 
Tobiah,  to-bfa 
Tyre,  tir 

Vashti,  vash'tl 

Zadok,  za'dok 
Zarephath,  zar'e-fath 
Zebulun,  zeb'yu-lun 
Zeruiah,  zer-yu-fi 
Ziklag,  zik'lag 
Zipporah,  zip-po'r4 
Zoar,  z6'S.r 
Zuph,  zuf 


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THE  CONSTRUCTIVE  STUDIES 


THE  Constructive  Studies  comprise  volumes  suit- 
able for  all  grades,  from  kindergarten  to  adult 
years,  in  schools  or  churches.  In  the  production 
of  these  studies  the  Editors  and  authors  have  sought 
to  embody  not  only  their  own  ideals  but  the  best  product 
of  the  thought  of  all  who  are  contributing  to  the  theory 
and  practice  of  modern  religious  education.  They  have 
had  due  regard  for  fundamental  principles  of  pedagogi- 
cal method,  for  the  results  of  the  best  modern  biblical 
scholarship,  and  for  those  contributions  to  religious 
education  which  may  be  made  by  the  use  of  a  religious 
interpretation  of  all  life-processes,  whether  in  the  field 
of  science,  literature,  or  social  phenomena. 

The  Editors  do  not  regard  their  task  as  complete  be- 
cause of  having  arranged  for  one  or  more  books  suitable 
for  each  grade.  The  series  will  always  be  subject  to  re- 
newal and  change.  Books  which,  because  of  changing 
conditions  in  the  religious  world  or  further  advance  in 
the  science  of  religious  education,  no  longer  perform 
their  function  will  be  dropped  and  new  volumes  will 
be  added.  In  this  way  it  is  expected  the  series  will  al- 
ways be  adapted  to  those  who  are  taking  initial  steps  in 
modern  religious  education,  as  well  as  to  those  who  have 
accepted  and  are  ready  to  put  into  practice  the  most  re- 
cent theories.  As  teachers  profoundly  interested  in  the 
problems  of  religious  education,  the  Editors  have  in- 
vited to  co-operate  with  them  authors  who  have  made 
practical  experiments  in  the  field  in  which  they  are 
asked  to  write. 

The  Editors  are  well  aware  that  those  who  are  most 
deeply  interested  in  religious  education  hold  that 
churches  and  schools  should  be  accorded  perfect  inde- 
pendence in  their  choice  of  literature  regardless  of  pub- 


lishing-house  interests,  and  they  heartily  sympathize 
with  this  standard.  They  realize  that  many  schools  will 
select  from  the  Constructive  Studies  such  volumes  as 
they  prefer,  but  at  the  same  time  they  hope  that  the 
Constructive  Studies  will  be  most  widely  serviceable  as 
a  series.  The  following  analysis  of  the  series  sets  forth 
age  groups  and  corresponding  courses  of  study. 

KINDERGARTEN 

Religion  in  the  Kindergarten  (Bertha  Marilda  Rhodes).  De- 
signed as  an  aid  in  presenting  religion  to  little  children  in  a 
concrete,  simple,  and  dramatic  way.  The  Teacher's  Manual 
is  to  be  used  with  envelopes  of  pictures  for  the  children. 

The  Sunday  Kindergarten:  Qame,  Qift,  and  Story  (Carrie 
S.  Ferris).  Every  lesson  has  its  story,  its  games,  and  its  ap- 
propriate table-work,  all  centering  around  a  religious  theme, 
with  songs  with  music  for  each  lesson.  Illustrated  story  leaf- 
lets assist  in  centering  attention  on  the  religious  theme. 

PRIMARY 

Child  Religion  in  Song  and  Story.  Book  I.  The  Child 
in  His  World.  Book  II.  Walks  with  Jesus  in  His  Home 
Country  (Georgia  L.  Chamberlin  and  Mary  Root  Kern). 
Each  volume  contains  fifty  songs  with  music,  many  texts  of 
Scripture  set  to  music,  carefully  arranged  orders  of  service, 
stories  and  directions  for  story  building,  prayers,  texts — all 
arranged  in  groups  about  ethical  and  reHgious  ideas.  For  each 
child  there  is  provided  a  series  of  leaflets  forming  a  loose-leaf 
notebook,  accompanied  by  crayons,  pencils,  pictures,  songs, 
and  poems. 

Stories  of  Shepherd  Life  (Elizabeth  Miller  Lobingier). 
A  project  of  thirty-six  lessons  built  around  the  Hfe-activities 
of  the  early  Hebrew  shepherds.  Gives  the  child  many  oppor- 
tunities for  drawing,  making  notebooks,  sand-table  work, 
dramatization,  modeling,  weaving,  spinning,  collecting,  con- 
struction, etc.  Teacher's  Manual  and  materials  for  pupil. 

Hebrew  Home  Life  and  Festivals  (Elizabeth  Miller  Lobingier). 
A  single  project  based  on  factual  material  and  designed  to 
foUow  Stories  of  Shepherd  Life.  There  is  a  children's  reader 
with  many  illustrations  in  color  and  a  Teacher's  Manual. 


JUNIOR 

An  Introduction  to  the  Bihle  for  Teachers  of  Children 
(Georgia  L.  Chamberlin).  The  Books  of  the  Holy  Bible. 

The  Bible  contains  many  interesting  stories  and  presents  in- 
spiring characters  which  are,  however,  buried  in  the  midst  of 
much  that  would  not  interest  children.  To  help  them  to  find 
these  heroic  stories,  thus  making  the  Bible  to  them  a  living 
book,  is  the  author's  purpose  here.  The  story  method  is  em- 
ployed throughout,  with  the  Bible  in  the  hands  of  the  children. 

The  Life  of  Jesus  (Herbert  W,  Gates).  In  the  fifth  grade  the 
children  are  offered  a  graphic,  accurate,  and  well-selected  ar- 
rangement of  the  Ufe  of  Jesus  from  the  point  of  view  of  Jesus 
as  a  hero.  Every  phase  of  his  life  calculated  to  inspire  youth 
to  Christian  hving  is  presented.  Through  the  Notebook  and 
the  wealth  of  pictures,  maps,  and  other  illustrative  materials 
furnished  with  it,  the  pupil  completes  and  illustrates  each  of 
the  chapters  in  the  Hfe  of  Jesus. 

JUNIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL 

Paul  of  Tarsus  (Louise  Warren  Atkinson).  Paul  was  a  great 
hero.  Most  people  know  him  only  as  a  theologian.  His  Ufe 
presents  miracles  of  courage,  struggle,  loyalty,  and  self- 
abnegation.  This  book  is  intended  to  help  the  pupil  to  see  such  a 
man.  It  is  a  study  of  the  boy  Paul  in  his  home,  his  student 
life,  his  Roman  and  Jewish  surroundings,  and,  later,  as  the 
hero  in  the  great  ambitions  and  enterprises  through  which 
he  worked  for  the  spread  of  the  reUgion  of  Jesus.  The  Note- 
book and  Homework  Book  are  admirable  helps  for  the  pupil. 

Heroes  of  Israel  (Theodore  G.  Soares).  This  book  is  an  excel- 
lent illustration  of  the  process  of  conserving  the  religious 
values  of  the  Old  Testament  as  pupils  advance  in  years. 
Each  story  contributes  its  ethical  message.  The  full  text  of 
the  stories  is  included  in  the  pupil's  book.  The  Teacher's 
Manual  contains  carefully  prepared  suggestions  for  the  prepa- 
ration and  presentation  of  each  lesson.  The  Pupil's  Text  pre- 
sents the  biblical  material,  retells  the  hero  stories,  and  raises 
questions  for  class  discussion. 

Right  hiving:    A  Discussion   Course  for  Boys  and   Qirls 

(Maurice  J.  Neuberg).  That  character  may  be  scientifically 
developed  is  the  principle  underlying  Right  Living,  a  discus- 
sion course  for  seventh-  and  eighth-grade  boys  and  girls.  The 


author  has  gathered  nearly  a  thousand  problems  or  life- 
situations  which  early  adolescents  face.  The  most  prominent 
and  crucial  of  these  are  presented  here  to  the  boys  and  girls 
in  a  manner  and  vocabulary  adapted  to  their  interests  and 
needs.  Biblical  studies,  references  to  general  Uterature,  and 
games  and  other  character-building  activities  for  motivating 
the  studies  are  suggested. 

SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL 
Biblical  Courses 

The  Life  of  Christ  (Isaac  B.  Burgess).  Although  intended 
for  pupils  of  high-school  age,  and  emphasizing  those  aspects 
of  the  Ufe  of  Jesus  which  would  most  interest  boys  and  girls 
who  are  beginning  to  think  for  themselves  in  rehgious  matters, 
this  book  may  be  used  as  a  basis  for  the  study  of  the  Ufe  of 
Christ  for  even  older  pupils.  This  study  provides  for  a  thor- 
ough and  constructive  type  of  work.  The  aim  has  been  to  en- 
rich the  religious  hfe  through  a  closer  and  deeper  knowledge 
of  the  Ufe  of  Jesus. 

The  Hehreiv  Prophets  or  Patriots  and  Leaders  of  Israel 

(Georgia  L.  Chamberlin).  Many  people  who  are  interested  in 
the  work  of  boys  and  girls  of  high-school  age  have  come  to 
believe  that  the  problems  which  the  Prophets  faced,  and  their 
manner  of  meeting  those  problems,  provide  the  best  material 
through  which  to  approach  moral,  civic,  and  social  situations 
in  our  own  day. 

Christianity  in  the  Apostolic  Age  (George  H.  Gilbert). 
The  story  of  the  early  days  of  Christianity  may  be  remote  and 
dull,  or  vitally  interesting,  according  to  the  method  of  its 
presentation.  The  author  of  this  book  has  chosen  for  empha- 
sis Uving  men  rather  than  dead  doctrines. 

SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL 
Ethical  Courses 

The  Problems  of  Boyhood  (Franklin  W.  Johnson).  This  book 
will  be  useful,  not  only  in  the  Sunday  school,  but  in  day 
school,  Association  classes,  or  any  field  of  boys'  activity  with 
boys.  Such  topics  as  Keeping  Clean,  Habits,  Gambling,  Bet- 
ting, Clean  Speech,  Right  Thinking,  Sex,  Loyalty,  Self-Control, 
and  other  themes. 


Lives  Worth  Living  (Emily  Clough  Peabody).  A  course  con- 
taining twelve  studies  for  young  women.  Six  of  these  studies 
present  the  hves  of  women  from  the  Bible  and  Christian  his- 
tory, representing  the  varied  spheres  of  women  in  the  home, 
the  social  circle,  public  life,  the  business  world,  the  religious 
world,  and  the  professions. 

Young  People's  Projects  (Erwin  L.  Shaver).  These  projects 
comprise  the  best  type  of  material  now  available  with  which  to 
challenge  young  people  to  think  through  the  problems  of  the 
Christian  life.  Six  programs  here  seek  to  provide  for  growth 
in  Christian  character  through  purposeful,  complete,  lifehke, 
and  co-operative  experiences  on  the  Christian  level.  In  order 
best  to  accomphsh  this  aim,  they  are  based  on  the  project 
method,  set  forth  in  Mr.  Shaver's  recent  book.  The  Project 
Principle  in  Religious  Education. 

A  Christian's  Life-Work.  A  project  plan  suggesting  how 
Christian  young  people  of  high-school  and  college  age 
may  be  helped  to  find  that  form  of  life-work  for  which 
they  are  best  equipped  and  to  use  that  life-work  as 
a  means  of  co-operating  in  the  building  of  a  Christian 
world. 

A  Christian's  Recreation.  This  is  a  project  plan  to  guide 
young  people  of  high-school  age  and  older  in  the  dis- 
covery and  use  of  Christian  types  of  recreation. 

A  Christian's  Attitude  toward  the  Press.  The  object  of  this 
project  program  is  to  develop  among  young  people  by 
group  discussion  and  activity  an  intelligent  and  effective 
attitude  on  the  Christian  level  toward  the  public  press. 

Christian  World-Builders.  The  aim  of  the  program  of  ac- 
tivities offered  here  is  to  help  young  people  interpret  and 
use  the  resources  of  the  world  in  accordance  with  the 
Christian  purpose.  Valuable  source  material  is  included 
to  aid  the  group  in  determining  the  right  use  of  Ufe's 
advantages. 

Christian  Young  People  and  World- Friendship.    The 

various  portions  of  the  program  are  designed  to  enlist 
young  people  in  the  knowledge  of  and  participation  in  the 
missionary  work  of  the  world.  A  directed  study-activity 
that  will  lead  the  way  for  an  intelligent  effort  at  world- 
peace. 


Young  People  and  the  Church.  A  procedure  is  here  sug- 
gested for  a  unified  program  of  educative  activities  for 
young  people  with  the  aim  of  developing  a  more  intelli- 
gent, devoted,  and  active  loyalty  to  the  church. 

SENIOR  HIGH  SCHOOL 
Supplementary  Courses 
Studies  in  the  Qospel  According  to  Mark  (Ernest  D. 
Burton).  A  careful  study  of  the  most  graphic  of  the  Gospels, 
aided  by  notes,  questions  for  consideration,  maps,  pictures, 
and  a  dictionary.  The  principal  object  of  this  book  is  to  show 
pupils  how  to  master  a  bibhcal  book. 

The  Third  and  Fourth  Qeneration  (EUiot  R.  Downing), 
This  book  gives  a  practical  answer  to  the  question  of  how 
teachers  of  reUgion  and  science  may  lead  pupils  of  the  adoles- 
cent years  to  such  an  appreciation  of  the  facts  of  Ufe  as  will 
increase  their  sense  of  responsibihty  for  their  own  bodies,  and 
will  help  them  to  avoid  those  forces  which  lead  to  deteriora- 
tion and  to  cultivate  those  which  upbuild  human  families 
both  physically  and  mentally. 

Paul,  Son  of  Kish  (Lyman  I.  Henry).  In  this  story  imagination 
binds  together  isolated  facts  in  a  vivid  historical  restoration 
of  the  Ufe  of  Paul,  from  his  youth  in  Tarsus  through  his  varied 
experiences  to  his  martyrdom  in  Rome.  This  story  assembles 
and  faithfully  blends  with  the  Bible  stories  of  the  period  the 
customs  and  historical  incidents  in  relation  to  the  personahty 
of  Paul. 

ADULT  GROUP 

The  biblical  studies  assigned  to  the  high-school  pe- 
riod are  in  most  cases  adaptable  to  adult  classwork. 
There  are  other  volumes,  however,  intended  only  for 
the  adult  group,  which  also  includes  the  young  people 
beyond  the  high-school  age.  Additional  courses  are  in 
preparation;  they  will  seek  to  interpret  problems  of 
modern  life  from  the  Christian  point  of  view.  The  books 
now  available  are  as  follows: 

The  Life  of  Christ  (Ernest  D.  Burton  and  Shailer  Mathews). 
A  careful  historical  study  of  the  life  of  Christ  from  the  four 
gospels,  with  copious  notes,  reading  references,  maps,  etc.  A 
new  edition  is  in  preparation. 


What  Jesus  Taught  (A.  Wakefield  Slaten).  After  a  swift  survey 
of  the  material  and  spiritual  environment  of  Jesus  this  book 
suggests  outUnes  for  discussions  of  his  teaching  on  such  topics 
as  civilization,  hate,  war  and  non-resistance,  democracy,  re- 
ligion, and  similar  topics.  Can  be  effectively  used  by  laymen 
as  well  as  professional  leaders. 

B.eligious  Education  in  the  Family  (Henry  F.  Cope).  An 
illuminating  study  of  the  possibilities  of  a  normal  reUgious 
development  in  the  family  life.  Invaluable  to  parents. 

Qreat  Men  of  the  Christian  Church  (Williston  Walker). 
A  series  of  deUghtful  biographies  of  men  who  have  been  in- 
fluential in  great  crises  in  the  history  of  the  church. 

For  prices  consult  the  latest  price  list.    Address 

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